Feds Let BP Off Probation Despite Pending Safety Violations
BP’s refining subsidiary was released today from criminal probation related to a 2005 explosion in Texas City that killed 15 workers.
The company has addressed the most serious safety deficiencies exposed by the accident and satisfied the terms of a felony plea agreement to settle charges that it failed to protect workers from known risks, a U.S. Justice Department spokesman said.
The move closes a controversial chapter for the company, but it leaves an array of worker-safety issues unresolved. BP is still negotiating over more than 400 additional violations brought against its Texas City refinery separately from the criminal case.
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BP Probation Officer Asks Judge to Revoke Probation, Citing ‘Criminal Negligence’
In a court filing, a federal probation officer said that BP acted negligently in the run-up to a 2009 spill—violating the terms of its probation for a spill in 2006.
Some Gulf Spill Claimants Waiting for Months: Feinberg Blames Tricky Policy Decisions
Some claimants from the Gulf oil spill have been waiting for months without a decision, and claims czar Ken Feinberg says the problem is in deciding, ‘What should we do with that claim?’
Corrosion Warnings at BP Facilities in Alaska: Here’s What the Data Mean
Following up on our earlier reporting, we explain what it means that 148 of BP's pipelines in Alaska have been ranked for "failure" by BP inspectors, according to documents we received from BP workers.
With All Eyes on the Gulf, BP Alaska Facilities Are Still at Risk
BP oil workers on Alaska’s North Slope say that another deadly accident or environmental disaster could happen at any time because of BP’s continued cost-cutting and inattention to aging systems there.
Federal Inspectors Clueless About Cementing, Oil Spill Panel Finds
Halliburton's cement mixture may have contributed to BP's deadly blowout, but federal inspectors knew next to nothing about cementing, says the government's oil spill panel.
The Questions BP Didn’t Answer
Full disclosure on the questions put to BP and how the company responded.
Why Tracking BP Worker Deaths Is Tricky
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) uses record-keeping methods that make it difficult to track worker fatalities that BP and other oil companies are responsible for.
Furious Growth and Cost Cuts Led To BP Accidents Past and Present
An EPA attorney tried for 12 years to make oil giant BP operate safely. Now, recently retired, she says BP should be banned from doing business with the U.S. government. A ProPublica and PBS FRONTLINE investigation.
The Documentary BP Wants You to Disregard
BP CEO Robert Dudley warned London's business leaders today that an upcoming report and documentary from ProPublica and PBS FRONTLINE would paint an unflattering picture of the company.
Gulf Spill Victims’ ‘Escalated’ Claims Still Languishing
Claimants from the BP Gulf Coast oil spill who have been promised quicker payments find their “expedited” claims still slow in coming.
Gulf Spill Fund Offers Little Information to Claimants
Acknowledging his operation should be doing a better job of providing information, the claims czar promises to deploy more agents in the Gulf to respond to desperate claimants.
Oil Spill Commission Hits Feds on Flow Rate, Dispersant, How Much Oil Is Left
The presidential commission investigating BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster found that a number of public failures undermined public confidence in the federal government.
Gulf Compensation Czar Says Claims Will No Longer Face Geographic Test
Kenneth Feinberg said proximity to the BP oil spill in the Gulf will no longer be used in determining whether a claim is eligible for payment.
In School Outreach, BP and NOAA ‘Dispel Myths’ About Dispersants, Subsurface Oil
After its five-month-long oil spill saga, BP and the government set out to show children in local schools that “oil floats,” and that Gulf seafood is safe, according to local reports.
Gulf Spill Paymaster Says He Has Eliminated Claims Backlog – While Claimants Disagree
Gulf spill claims czar Kenneth Feinberg says his operation has eliminated backlog of older claims, but claimants still report problems.
Obama Administration Criticizes Slow Payments by Gulf Spill Claims Czar
The pace of BP claims payments is called unacceptably slow, and the official in charge promises new procedures to speed up the program.
More Questions About BP’s Limited Investigation Into Gulf Disaster
A panel, at the request of the Interior Department, questioned BP about missing information and alternative causes for the Gulf disaster that were left unaddressed by its recent report.
Frustrated Oil Spill Claimants Consider Alternative Compensation Fund
As claimants in the Gulf Coast spill await responses to their applications, some are turning to a little-known alternative fund administered by the Coast Guard.Anonymous Tipline
If you work for BP or a contractor on a rig in the Gulf, or anywhere else, we’d like to hear from you. Tell us about your work conditions, your management, and your observations of what is happening. We will not publish your identity. Call 917-512-0254, fax documents to 212-514-5250 or e-mail Abrahm.Lustgarten@propublica.org.
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Dafna Linzer Discusses Why Clarence Aaron Can’t Get His Sentenced Commuted
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