US EPA believes company mishandled oil spills....
The US Environmental Protection Agency is investigating oil giant BP after the state of Alaska warned that the UK company mishandled oil spills in the state while under probation. A letter to the EPA stated the company's "failure to follow state oil spill reporting requirements is unacceptable."
The EPA has the power to prevent a company from obtaining federal contracts if it repeatedly violates the law. Daren Beaudo, BP spokesman, said the company would seek a meeting to discuss the spills.
BP received a copy of the letter this week ahead of tomorrow's deadline for an appeal against a regulator's ruling that it broke Alaska regulations in apparent violation of its federal probation.
BP has been on probation since 2000 after pleading guilty to failing immediately to report the release into the Alaskan environment of hazardous wastes, including methylene chloride. The company was fined a maximum Dollars 500,000 (Pounds 270,365) and ordered to set up a national environment management system.
The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is seeking civil penalties of Dollars 2.5m for a 2002 well explosion. It said BP failed to ensure sufficient engineering analysis of high pressure in wells. Accepting the AOGCC ruling would not only be embarrassing for BP but, if deemed a violation of its federal probation, it could lead to further, unspecified action by the federal government.
