Federal Judge Approves $4 Billion Criminal Settlement in BP Oil Spill Case
Description: A federal judge in New Orleans has approved a $4 billion criminal settlement between BP and the U.S. Justice Department. The penalty is the result of BP pleading guilty to 11 counts of manslaughter and lying to members of congress about the 2010 oil spill. It is also the largest criminal penalty in U.S. history.
Family members of the men killed aboard the oil rig platform in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 were among those who shared stories of their losses with U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance.They will not however get any of the $4 billion. The cases involving the men lost in the explosion were settled privately out of court. The settlement will require BP to give the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation almost $2.4 billion. That money will be used to restore marine life in the Gulf that may have been impacted by the oil spill. The National Academy of Sciences will get $350 million. That money is to be used to improve offshore drilling, decreasing the risk of the kind of tragedy that occurred in 2010.
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