EDF President Fred Krupp applauds DOJ for robust $4 billion criminal settlement with BP
November 15, 2012
Elizabeth Skree, 202-553-2543, eskree@edf.org
(Washington, D.C. – November 15, 2012) Today, BP and the
U.S. Department of Justice announced they have reached a $4 billion settlement
pertaining to criminal charges stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster,
including $2.4 billion for Gulf restoration. Of that, an impressive $1.2
billion will be dedicated to Louisiana for coastal restoration and river
diversion projects.
Fred Krupp, President
of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), released
the following statement in response:
“Today’s settlement is the largest penalty ever paid in a
criminal case, and we applaud the Department of Justice for pursuing
unprecedented fines and for allocating a huge portion of funds to restoration
in the Mississippi River Delta and Gulf of Mexico. In Louisiana, restoration
projects are expected to include large-scale river diversions, which EDF
strongly supports. It is deeply gratifying to see the Justice Department stand
firmly on the side of the citizens and environment of the Gulf Coast. We look
forward to working with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to get
large-scale restoration projects going along the Gulf Coast and in the
Mississippi River Delta.”
“The full magnitude of environmental damages in the Gulf
will not be known for years, but we do know that the spill’s effects continue
to unfold. Therefore, it’s essential that BP be held accountable to the fullest
extent of the law. BP broke two major laws that have two very important
purposes, and they should pay for violating both. The Gulf Coast depends on
full justice being served. This settlement raises our expectations that the
Department of Justice will continue to hold BP fully accountable for its civil
violations under both the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act.”