ProPublica

Journalism in the Public Interest

Cancel

Gulf Oil Spill

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.

Read more »

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words ... and Millions of Barrels of Oil

Pictures of the Gulf oil spill can be more powerful than the words.

Gulf Oil Spill Update: Way Worse Than They Told Us

The estimates of the amount of oil spilling in the Gulf of Mexico keep going up.

Does Administration’s Proposed Break-up of Offshore Oil Regulator Go Far Enough?

MMS, the agency regulating offshore drilling would be split under an Interior Department proposal.

After Spill, More Gulf Drilling Plans Got Environmental Exemptions

Even as oil was spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, companies were granted exemptions from in-depth environmental analysis for proposed drilling, McClatchy reported.

Despite Previous Equipment Failure, BP Says Spill ‘Seemed Inconceivable’

BP says the cause of the Gulf oil spill "was unprecedented," but records show otherwise.

EPA Approves BP’s Use of Questionable Chemicals to Break Up Oil

BP has resumed spraying dispersants to break up the Gulf oil spill, with EPA approval.

Regulators Let Industry Drill Deeper, Despite Safety Concerns and Unproven Fixes

Deepwater drilling has been increasing without much regulatory oversight or new technology to deal with the issues created by the huge water pressure.

Offshore Drilling Regulators Had Concerns, but Let Industry Self-Police

Regulators had concerns about safety devices on oil rigs, but allowed the industry largely to police itself, two reports show.

Govt Agency: Offshore Drilling Regulator Understated Risks of Oil Spills in Plans to Expand Drilling

A plan for expanding drilling off the coast of Alaska was criticized by NOAA last year.

NYT: We ‘Should Have Included’ Source’s Industry Ties in Our Gulf Oil Spill Story

The New York Times clarifies the connections that a Gulf of Mexico conservation group has to the oil industry.

Congressmen Raised Concerns About BP Safety Before Gulf Oil Spill

In a letter to a BP executive this year, two congressman warned that the company's cost-cutting could jeopardize safety.

Nonprofit Conservation Group Has Ties to Oil Interests, Gulf Oil Spill

The Gulf of Mexico Foundation, cited by The New York Times, has some close connections to the oil industry.

Oil Companies Pay a Pittance in Penalties to Offshore Drilling Regulator

The fines that oil companies have paid for safety violations are dwarfed by their profits.

Chemicals Meant To Break Up BP Oil Spill Present New Environmental Concerns

Oil dispersants used in the Gulf of Mexico contain their own toxins and can concentrate leftover oil toxins in the water.

BP Had Other Problems in Years Leading to Gulf Spill

BP has been fined in recent years for a deadly refinery explosion in Texas and a pipeline leak in Alaska.

Gulf Oil Spill Puts Spotlight on Regulator With Mixed Record

The Minerals Management Service, which oversees oil rigs, has had ethical and other problems.

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.

Get Updates

Stay on top of what we’re working on by subscribing to our email digest.

optional