Public Comments Sought on BP Proposed Consent Decree

BP, the United States, and the five Gulf states have agreed to a settlement resolving claims for federal civil penalties and natural resource damages related to the Deepwater Horizon BP Spill. This settlement is set forth in the proposed Consent Decree. The Department of Justice is seeking public comment on the proposed settlement until December 4, 2015.

Minority business enterprises (MBEs) and organizations that serve the minority business community have an opportunity to submit comments on the proposed settlement. MBEs can participate in the economic and business opportunities associated with the distribution of funds under the Consent Decree. Under the proposed Decree, BP, among other things, will pay

$5.5 billion civil penalty under the Clean Water Act;
$8.1 billion for natural resource damages under the Oil Pollution Act (including the $1 billion that BP previously pledged under a prior agreement), plus up to $700 million additional for unknown conditions and adaptive management;
$350 million for State and federal natural resource damages assessment costs; and
$250 million for other federal costs, including removal costs under the Oil Pollution Act, royalties, and a False Claims Act penalty.

The Department of Justice will receive comments relating to the proposed Decree until December 4, 2015. Comments t should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and be submitted in an electronic format to http://www.justice.gov/enrd/deepwater-horizon.

Comments may be submitted in paper format by mail to:

P.O. Box 7611
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, DC 20044–7611.

Comments should reference U.S. v. BP Exploration and Production et al, Civil No. 10–4536 (E.D. La.).(Centralized in MDL 2179: In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig ‘Deepwater Horizon’’ in the Gulf of Mexico, April 20, 2012), D.J. Ref. 90–5– 1–1–10026.

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