BP oil spill: Judge rejects BP attempt to lessen fines for Gulf of Mexico spill, $13.7 billion in civil fines await

February 20, 2015 Online Editor Business, News Comments Off on BP oil spill: Judge rejects BP attempt to lessen fines for Gulf of Mexico spill, $13.7 billion in civil fines await
In this June 3, 2010, file photo, a bird is mired in oil on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast. Lawyers representing the federal government were in a New Orleans courtroom Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, outlining their case for adding some $13.7 billion in penalties to costs already incurred by BP after the 2010 Gulf oil spill. BP points to $42 billion in costs it already has incurred in arguing for a lower penalty. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
In this June 3, 2010, file photo, a bird is mired in oil on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast. Lawyers representing the federal government were in a New Orleans courtroom Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, outlining their case for adding some $13.7 billion in penalties to costs already incurred by BP after the 2010 Gulf oil spill. BP points to $42 billion in costs it already has incurred in arguing for a lower penalty. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
In this June 3, 2010, file photo, a bird is mired in oil on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast. Lawyers representing the federal government were in a New Orleans courtroom Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, outlining their case for adding some $13.7 billion in penalties to costs already incurred by BP after the 2010 Gulf oil spill. BP points to $42 billion in costs it already has incurred in arguing for a lower penalty. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — BP wants to lower the fine per barrel of oil spilled during the 2010 Deep Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier felt differently.

The federal judge rejected an attempt by BP to lower the fines.

On Thursday, Barbier agreed with government lawyers that BP should face paying up to $4,300 for each barrel of oil spilled.

BP wanted Barbier to cap the amount at $3,000 per barrel, the same amount set by the Clean Water Act in 1990 for gross negligence fines. But federal prosecutors argued that those amounts need to be adjusted for inflation and Barbier agreed.

The ruling leaves BP facing up to $13.7 billion in civil fines for the spill.

Barbier still has not ruled on how much BP should pay. He is expected to make that decision in the coming months.

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