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About POGO's Federal Contractor Misconduct Database (FCMD)
The government awards contracts to companies with histories of misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations. In the absence of a centralized federal database listing instances of misconduct, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is providing such data. We believe that it will lead to improved contracting decisions and public access to information about how the government spends hundreds of billions of taxpayer money each year on goods and services. Report an instance of misconduct »
BP P.L.C.
BP is one of the world’s largest energy companies, with interests in more than 100 countries and over 96,000 employees. BP Alternative Energy, formed in 2005, brings together all BP’s interests in zero and low-carbon power generation: BP Solar, the company’s photovoltaic business; wind power generation; hydrogen power - which combines fossil fuel power generation with carbon capture and storage to provide extremely low carbon power; and BP’s natural gas-fired power interests. BP Alternative Energy has an active wind development portfolio in Europe, North America and Asia; the company’s hydrogen business includes two announced projects (in Los Angeles and in Peterhead Scotland); BP Solar is a leading global solar company; and; BP also participates in more than 13,000 MW of gas-fired generation around the world.
Federal Contract $: $1472.9m
Total Number of Instances: 63
Total Misconduct dollar amount: $14969.1m
- Annual Report
- Ethics Page
- Hoovers Profile
- Lobbying Information
- Press Page
- SEC Form 20-F
- Website
- Contracting Information
- Political Activity
Instances of Misconduct
1. Violations of Texas Environmental Regulations
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality fined BP Products North America, Inc. a total of $130,625 for three violations of TCEQ rules and state laws at its Texas City refinery. During inspections conducted in 2004 and 2005, the TCEQ found BP failed to prevent unauthorized releases of air contaminants and failed to cap an open-ended line.... more»
2. Emergency Planning Violations (Texas City Refinery)
BP Products North America Inc. agreed to pay a $420,662 civil penalty and spend $365,000 on supplemental environmental projects to resolve Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) violations at its Texas City, Texas, refinery. The settlement addressed the company’s noncompliance with EPCRA reporting requirements by failing to submit toxic chemical release inventory information to EPA and the State of Texas for the period 2002-2005, and failure to maintain reporting records for calendar year 2004.... more»
3. 2005 Texas City Refinery Explosion – Civil Litigation
An explosion and fire occurring on March 23, 2005 at BP Products’ Texas City refinery killed 15 and injured hundreds. The incident led to more than 3,000 lawsuits. BP, which has settled approximately half of those claims, agreed in September 2007 to settle the claims of four victims that were the first to go to trial. The terms were not disclosed. BP has not disclosed the settlement terms of any of the Texas City cases other than a $38 million donation to schools and hospitals in a case involving a plaintiff whose parents died in the explosion. See related BP Amoco P.L.C. instances “Workplace Safety Violations (Texas City Refinery)” and "Texas City Refinery Explosion - Guilty Plea."... more»
4. Capacity Release Violations
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) assessed a $7 million civil penalty on BP Energy Company for violations of FERC’s capacity release policies. In addition, BP will “implement a compliance monitoring plan to resolve multiple violations of regulations for posting and bidding of released capacity, the shipper-must-have-title requirement, and the prohibition on buy-sell transactions. The violations involved thousands of individual transactions in 2005 and 2006 stemming from BP’s management of customers’ capacity rights on interstate natural gas pipeline and storage facilities. The most serious of BP’s violations involves a practice known as ‘flipping,’ which evidences a deliberate strategy for evading FERC regulations that require posting and competitive bidding for discounted long-term releases of capacity...FERC found that BP transported 24.9 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas on capacity it acquired improperly through flipping transactions.” FERC noted in a press release that BP “could have faced substantially higher penalties had it not self-reported its violations, and had it not also demonstrated exemplary cooperation with FERC’s Enforcement staff during the investigation.”... more»
5. Texas City Refinery Explosion – Guilty Plea
BP Products North America Inc. agreed to plead guilty to a one-count felony violation of the Clean Air Act for conduct that resulted in a March 2005 explosion and fire at its Texas City refinery that killed 15 and injured more than 170 others. BP admitted that from 1999 up until the day of the incident, several safety procedures required by the Clean Air Act had not been implemented. BP will pay a $50 million criminal fine (the largest ever assessed under the Act), a $400 special assessment, and serve three years of probation. BP will also be required to implement various facility-wide renovations that are expected to cost up to $265 million. See related BP Amoco P.L.C. misconduct instances, “Workplace Safety Violations (Texas City Refinery)” and “2005 Texas City Refinery Explosion – Civil Litigation”... more»
6. Unsafe Working Environment (Gulf of Mexico)
BP America Production Company was assessed a $25,000 penalty by the Offshore Minerals Management on October 25, 2006 because “operations were not performed in a safe and workmanlike manner. While making an assessment of the unsafe conditions on the platform that needed repairing, the construction crew did not barricade a 3'4" x 3'4" opening in the stairway landing. Later, one of the crew members was injured when he fell through the open hole approximately 20' and into the Gulf of Mexico.”... more»
7. Whiting, Ind. Refinery Clean Air Act Violations (2012)
BP North America agreed to pay an $8 million penalty to the United States and the State of Indiana and invest more than $400 million to install state-of-the-art pollution controls and cut emissions from BP’s petroleum refinery in Whiting, Indiana. The government alleged violations of Clean Air Act (CAA) in connection with construction and expansion of the Whiting Refinery, as well as violations of a consent decree entered into with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2001.... more»
8. Clean Water Act Violations in Curtis Bay, MD
The United States filed a lawsuit against BP Products North America alleging Clean Water Act violations for failing to prepare and implement an adequate Facility Response Plan (FRP) at BP’s petroleum terminal in Curtis Bay, Maryland, and for failing to develop and implement an adequate program of oil spill response drills/exercises. BP settled the lawsuit pursuant to a consent decree imposing a $210,000 civil penalty.... more»
9. April 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill – Private Economic Loss and Medical Claims Settlement
BP reached a $7.8 billion settlement over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster. In April 2010, a blowout on the Macondo well destroyed the Deepwater Horizon, killed 11 workers, and caused the spill of more than 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over three months. The settlement will resolve approximately 100,000 private claims for economic loss, property damage and medical injuries. It includes $2.3 billion specifically earmarked for economic losses related to the seafood industry in the Gulf of Mexico. BP also promised to provide $105 million to improve the availability, scope and quality of healthcare in Gulf communities. The settlement, which does not cap the amount BP must ultimately pay, does not resolve claims brought by the federal and state governments, nor does it cover claims against BP’s partners on the Deepwater Horizon rig, including rig owner Transocean and cement contractor Halliburton. The settlement is not an admission of liability by BP.... more»
10. Workplace Safety Violations (Texas City Refinery)
“On March 23, 2005, an explosion and fire occurred in the Isomerization Unit of BP Products’ Texas City refinery as the unit was coming out of planned maintenance. Fifteen contractors died in the incident and many others were injured… The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, among other agencies, have conducted or are conducting investigations. At the conclusion of their investigation, OSHA issued citations alleging more than 300 violations of 13 different OSHA standards, and BP Products agreed not to contest the citations. BP Products settled that matter with OSHA on September 22, 2005, paying a $21.3 million penalty and undertaking a number of corrective actions designed to make the refinery safer.” See related BP Amoco P.L.C. misconduct instances, "2005 Texas City Refinery Explosion – Civil Litigation" and "Texas City Refinery Explosion - Guilty Plea."... more»
11. Violations of Air Quality Regulations (Carson, CA)
In March 2005, it was announced that BP would pay over $106 million in the largest legal settlement ever with Southern California's air pollution agency. The agreement ended litigation over pollution from the BP West Coast Products refining plant in Carson, where neighboring residents have complained for years about emissions from the facility. The settlement requires BP to pay the South Coast Air Quality Management District $31 million in cash, which includes $25 million in penalties and $6,012,360 for past emission fees; $30 million over 10 years to fund programs for asthma diagnosis and treatment; $25 million to replace a waste system that reduces hydrogen-sulfide pollution; and $20 million for other pollution controls at the plant.... more»
12. Underpayment of Oil Royalties
On April 11, 2000, BP Amoco agreed “to pay $32 million to resolve claims under the False Claims Act 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq. and administrative claims that the corporation underpaid royalties due for oil produced on federal and Indian leases since 1988”... more»
13. Violations of the Clean Air Act
On July 25, 2000, the EPA and Justice Department reached an agreement with BP Amoco. “Under the agreement, BP Amoco, the nation's second-largest refiner, is expected to spend more than $500 million on up-to-date pollution-control technologies and work practices at nine refineries to reduce emissions from all sources - from stacks, leaking valves, wastewater vents and flares… In addition, BP Amoco agreed to pay a $10 million penalty.”... more»
14. Illegal Disposal of Hazardous Waste (Alaska)
BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., a subsidiary of BP Amoco P.L.C. “pleaded guilty to one felony count related to the illegal disposal of hazardous waste on Alaska's North Slope, and it agreed to spend $22 million to resolve the criminal case and related civil claims…BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., or "BPXA," admitted in U.S. District Court in Anchorage that it failed to immediately notify authorities of a release of hazardous substances to the environment, and it agreed to pay the maximum criminal fine of $500,000. As part of the plea agreement, BPXA also admitted that it failed to provide adequate oversight, audits and funding to ensure proper environmental management on Endicott Island, Alaska.”... more»
15. Exposing Employees to Explosion Hazards
“Exposing employees to explosion hazards has led to $141,000 in proposed penalties against BP Amoco Polymers, Inc., by the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The alleged willful and serious citations for violation of safety standards resulted from an inspection of a March 13 explosion and fire that killed three workers at the company's Clanton Road plant. OSHA cited BP Amoco for two alleged willful violations with proposed penalties of $125,000 for exposing employees to the release of hazardous energy… The company received three serious citations with proposed penalties totaling $16,000 for failing to: properly install pressure relief devices; require proper face protection for employees working with corrosive materials; and properly train employees on lockout/tagout.”... more»
16. Failure to Protect Employees from a Chemical Release (Texas City Refinery)
“BP Amoco's Texas City oil and gas refinery has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for its alleged failure to protect employees from a chemical release and fire. Proposed penalties total $63,000. OSHA issued citations to the refinery for 14 alleged serious violations of safety standards following an investigation that began March 30 when a pipe ruptured on a furnace, releasing flammable vapors that ignited a fire in the Ultraformer No. 4 (UU4) desulfurizer section.”... more»
17. Conspiracy to Manipulate the Propane Market
"Dennis N. Abbott, a former trader at a U.S. subsidiary of British Petroleum... pleaded guilty to conspiring to manipulate and corner the propane market in the winter of 2004...Under the terms of a plea agreement, Abbott faces up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release following any incarceration. Abbott has agreed to cooperate with law enforcement officials in an ongoing investigation...Abbott admitted in his plea agreement and an accompanying factual statement that from Feb. 5, 2004 through July 28, 2004, he and other employees of a British Petroleum subsidiary, BP Products North America (BP), agreed to manipulate the February 2004 propane market for TET propane." See related BP Amoco P.L.C. misconduct instance, "Conspiring to Corner the Propane Market (CFTC v. BP Products North America)."... more»
18. Alaska Pipeline Leaks - Guilty Plea
British Petroleum Exploration (Alaska), Inc. (BPXA) agreed to plead guilty to a violation of the Clean Water Act for leaks of crude oil from a pipeline onto the tundra and a frozen lake on Alaska’s North Slope. BPXA will pay a $12 million criminal fine, $4 million in community service payments to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and $4 million in criminal restitution to the state of Alaska. BPXA will also serve three years of probation and will be required to replace 16 miles of pipeline at an estimated cost of $150 million. The government alleged that two different leaks from BPXA oil transit lines occurred in March and August of 2006 due to BPXA’s failure to heed warning signs of imminent internal corrosion that a reasonable operator should have recognized. The leaks resulted in a spill of more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil. In November 2010, the government petitioned the court to revoke BXPA's probation on the grounds that its conduct prior to another North Slope oil spill in November 2009 constituted criminal negligence and thus violated the terms of probation.... more»
19. CFTC v. Kelly (Attempted Manipulation of the NYMEX Unleaded Gasoline Futures Contract)
Paul K. Kelly, a former gasoline trader for BP Products North America, Inc., paid a $400,000 civil penalty to settle charges of violating the Commodity Exchange Act. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charged him with manipulating the price spread between the November and December 2002 unleaded gasoline futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) on October 31, 2002.... more»
20. Conspiring to Corner the Propane Market (CFTC v. BP Products North America)
BP Products North America Inc. agreed to defer the prosecution of a one-count criminal information charging the company with conspiring to violate the Commodity Exchange Act and to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. According to the criminal information, in April 2003 and February 2004, traders working for a subsidiary of BP America Inc. conspired to manipulate and corner the market for TET propane, or propane transported in the Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Company pipeline system to the northeastern and midwestern United States. Per the agreement, BP will pay a $100 million criminal penalty and approximately $53 million in restitution. BP will also pay $25 million to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Consumer Fraud Fund and a $125 million civil penalty to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In return, the government will not to prosecute BP for a period of three years if the company fully complies with the terms of the agreement, which also requires BP to cooperate with an independent corporate monitor and with Department of Justice investigations into the propane manipulation schemes. See related BP Amoco P.L.C. misconduct instance “Conspiracy to Manipulate the Propane Market.”... more»
21. Environmental Violations in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s ecological ministry fined Tengizchevroil, a Chevron-led consortium developing the country’s Tengiz oil field, $609 million (later reduced to $309 million on appeal) for environmental violations relating to the stockpiling of sulfur between 2003 and 2006. The fine was imposed in July 2007, although it wasn’t announced until October. Chevron has a 50 percent stake in the consortium. Other members of the consortium include ExxonMobil, which has a 25 percent share, and Lukarco, a joint venture between Lukoil and BP, which has a 5 percent share. Tengizchevroil reportedly paid the fine, plus $10 million in legal fees, in November 2007.... more»
22. Clean Air Act Violations (Toledo, OH)
BP agreed to pay $1.75 million for alleged illegal discharges of pollutants and reporting violations at its Toledo, Ohio refinery. The settlement resolves claims that BP violated the Clean Air Act by emitting excess quantities of sulfur dioxide by unlawfully flaring gases containing high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide. Such emissions contribute to acid rain. The agreement also resolves claims that BP violated the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) by failing to immediately notify emergency response authorities when the pollutants were discharged. BP agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1.4 million and spend $350,000 on two supplemental environmental projects.... more»
23. Clean Air Act Violations at Eight Refineries
BP Amoco and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached an agreement to resolve Clean Air Act violations at eight refineries owned by BP, Amoco and Arco (recently acquired by BP) around the country. The settlement required BP to pay a civil penalty $9.5 million to the federal government and $500,000 to the State of Indiana. BP also agreed to install new pollution control technologies designed to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide from refinery process units and to implement various other comprehensive anti-pollution programs and practices.... more»
24. Safety Violations at Scotland Refinery
BP was fined £1m (approx. $1.4 million) for breaching safety laws at its Grangemouth, Scotland refinery. The company pleaded guilty to charges relating to two separate incidents at the complex in June 2000. In the first incident, a high pressure steam pipe broke, injuring a woman. In the second incident three days later, a break in other pipework caused the release of highly flammable vapor which led to a major fire.... more»
25. Delays In Installing Leak Detection Systems
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation assessed BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. $300,000 in fines and penalties ($150,000 of which was suspended) for delays in installing leak detection systems for Prudhoe Bay crude oil transmission lines on Alaska’s North Slope.... more»
26. Safety Violations at Oregon, Ohio Refinery
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined BP Products North America Inc. more than $2.4 million for unsafe operations at its Oregon, Ohio refinery. OSHA inspectors found 32 "willful citations," two "willful violations," and five other "serious violations.”... more»
27. Leaking Underground Storage Tanks in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality fined BP Products North America Inc. $869,150 for leaking underground storage tanks at eight of its former gasoline stations in Michigan. “The DEQ is currently monitoring over 200 former gasoline stations where BP has reported releases from underground tank systems. A study conducted by the DEQ in January 2006, found a noncompliance rate of approximately 60 percent and that 47, or 63 percent, of BP's 74 highest risk sites have not complied with regulations in Michigan's Leaking Underground Storage Tanks statutes.”... more»
28. Violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
The Minerals Management Service of the Department of Interior fined BP Exploration & Production, Inc. for violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. According to a notice published in the Federal Register: “Operator failed to verify employees were trained to competently perform the assigned well control duties. Additionally, they failed to have a remote-controlled station that could operate the valves in the flow and vent lines of the diverter. These violations contributed to a loss of well control event on November 14, 2002. There was no pollution or injuries.”... more»
29. Nationwide MTBE Groundwater Contamination Litigation
A dozen oil companies, including BP America Inc., Chevron Corp., Shell Oil Co. and Valero Energy Corp., agreed to pay over $423 million to settle litigation with public water providers in 17 states over groundwater contamination from the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The companies also agreed to pay cleanup costs that arise in the next 30 years. Defendant ExxonMobil refused to settle and faces numerous MTBE trials, scheduled to begin in September 2008.... more»
30. Clean Air Act Violations (Texas City Refinery)
BP Products North America Inc. agreed to pay a $12 million civil penalty, spend $6 million on a supplemental project to reduce air pollution, and spend more than $161 million on pollution controls, enhanced maintenance and monitoring, and improved internal management practices to resolve Clean Air Act (CAA) violations at its Texas City, Texas, refinery. The settlement resolved the company’s noncompliance with a 2001 consent decree and CAA regulations requiring strict controls on benzene and benzene-containing wastes generated during petroleum refining operations.... more»
31. Violations of Texas City Refinery OSHA Settlement
In October 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued $87.4 million in proposed penalties to BP Products North America Inc. for the company’s failure to correct potential hazards faced by employees at BP’s Texas City, Texas, refinery. Safety violations at the refinery resulted in a massive explosion in March of 2005 that killed 15 and injured 170. The penalties were a result of BP’s alleged violations of a settlement agreement it entered into with OSHA in September 2005, under which the company agreed to corrective actions to eliminate potential hazards. For noncompliance with the terms of the settlement agreement, the BP Texas City Refinery was issued 270 "notifications of failure to abate" with proposed fines totaling $56.7 million. OSHA also identified 439 new willful violations for failures to follow industry-accepted controls on the pressure relief safety systems and other process safety management violations with proposed penalties totaling $30.7 million. In August 2010, BP agreed to pay a $50.6 million penalty for the failure to abate violations. (The Department of Labor discovered it had assessed 29 duplicate violations and adjusted the penalty to $50.6 million.) In July 2012, BP paid $13 million to resolve 409 of the 439 willful violation citations issued in October 2009.... more»
32. Garner v. BP Amoco Chemical (April 2007 Texas City Chemical Leak)
A Texas jury awarded over $100.3 million in damages to ten BP employees who claimed they were injured in April 2007 at BP’s Texas City plant. They claimed they were exposed to toxic chemicals while repairing two refining units damaged in a plant-wide 2005 shutdown and that BP had a poorly maintained workplace and lacked sufficient monitoring to detect toxic chemicals or warn workers of a release.... more»
33. Sept. 2009 OSHA Inspection of Ohio Refinery
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited BP North American Inc. and BP-Husky Refining LLC's refinery in Oregon, Ohio, with 42 alleged willful violations involving the exposure of refinery workers to a variety of hazards. OSHA proposed over $3 million in penalties. The fine resulted from an inspection in September 2009 undertaken pursuant to a 2007 settlement agreement between OSHA and BP. Although the inspection found that BP had complied with the settlement agreement, OSHA found numerous violations at the plant not previously covered by the agreement.... more»
34. Unsafe Operations During the Slip and Cut of the Drill Line
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP Exploration & Oil Inc. for a violation occurring on March 16, 2001. According to MMS: “Unsafe operations were conducted during the slip and cut of the drill line and an employee was seriously injured.”... more»
35. Bypassed Level Safety Low for Glycol/Hydrocarbon Separator
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP Corporation North America Inc. for a violation occurring on June 12-13, 2001. According to MMS: “Level safety low (LSL) for glycol/hydrocarbon separator was found bypassed.”... more»
36. Improperly Grounded Skid Mounted Electrical Pressure Washer
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP Exploration & Oil Inc. for a violation occurring on March 15, 2001. According to MMS: “Rig floor hand injured after receiving a shock from an improperly grounded skid mounted electrical pressure washer.”... more»
37. Failure to Test Oil Low Level Sensor
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP Exploration & Production Inc. for a violation occurring between December 13, 2000 and December 3, 2001. According to MMS: “The oil low level sensor on the heater treater was not tested within the required timeframe (missed 13 monthly tests).”... more»
38. Fire Water System Violation
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP Exploration & Production Inc. for a violation occurring on June 19, 2002. According to MMS: “The fire water system was operating below the minimum required 75 psi.”... more»
39. Bypassed Relays for the Pressure Safety High/Low For Four Producing Wells
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP Exploration & Production Inc. for a violation occurring in May 2002. According to MMS, the violation involved “Bypassed Relays for the Pressure Safety High/Low for four producing wells.”... more»
40. Failing to Conduct Crane Dismantling and Removal in a Safe and Workmanlike Manner
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP America Production Company for a violation occurring on November 2, 2002. According to MMS: “The Operator failed to conduct crane dismantling and removal operations in a safe and workmanlike manner, resulting in the crane falling into the Gulf of Mexico. Accident occurred due to failure to follow the procedures established in the Job Safety Analysis (JSA).”... more»
41. Surface-Controlled Subsurface Safety Valve Violation
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP America Production Company for a violation occurring on January 3, 2003. According to MMS: “Surface-controlled subsurface safety valve for Well No. E-18 was blocked out of service.”... more»
42. Rig Gas Detection System Bypassed While Drilling Operations Were Being Conducted
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP America Production Company for a violation occurring in March 2003. According to MMS: “The Rig's Gas Detection System was bypassed with ongoing drilling operations being conducted.”... more»
43. Asbuilt Diverter System Violation
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior fined BP Exploration & Production Inc. for a violation occurring in August 2002. According to MMS: “A fire occurred involving the asbuilt diverter system leading to damage to property and the environment. The diverter system was not installed as in the approved plan, had inadequate supports, added right angle turns at the ends, and did not provide for downwind diversions.”... more»
44. February 1990 Tanker Accident off Southern California Coast
British Petroleum agreed to pay nearly $3.9 million in restoration and settlement costs for a February 1990 tanker accident that spilled 400,000 gallons of oil into southern California coastal waters. The settlement resolved all federal and state natural resources damages claims stemming from incident, when the BP tanker American Trader ran aground and spilled oil over 60 square miles of ocean, fouling wildlife and beaches between Seal Beach and Laguna Beach, California.... more»
45. Washington, DC Underground Storage Tank Violations
B.P. Products North America Inc. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) settled underground storage tank violations occurring at four of the company’s former gas stations in Washington, D.C. from 2002 through 2005. BP, which neither admitted nor denied EPA’s allegations, agreed to pay a fine for failing to perform corrosion protection inspections every 60 days at three of its four facilities, and for failing to provide release detection oversight for two small waste oil underground storage tanks at two of the facilities.... more»
46. Colluding to Fix Commissions Paid on North Sea Oil Contracts
The U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with oil trading firms AIG Trading Corporation, BP Exploration & Oil Inc. and Cargill International S.A. that prohibited the companies from exchanging broker commission information involving contracts for Brent blend crude oil, a crude oil produced in the North Sea. The government accused the companies of colluding from July 1992 through May 1993 to lower the commissions they paid to brokers in the U.S. for these contracts.... more»
47. Manipulation of Western Electricity Market (FERC Settlement)
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) accused BP Energy Company of manipulating electricity prices in western U.S. markets. A FERC investigation found three occasions in 2000 when a BP Energy trader attempted to manipulate electricity prices at Palo Verde, an important trading hub. BP Energy acknowledged that this trader’s actions were “inappropriate, disappointing, and embarrassing for the company.” As part of the settlement, BP Energy, which did not admit to any wrongdoing, agreed to contribute $3,000,000 to fund tow-income home energy assistance programs for customers in California and Arizona.... more»
48. Manipulation of Western Electricity Market (California Settlement)
BP Energy Company and the State of California settled allegations that BP Energy overcharged for electricity during the period January 1, 2000 through June 20, 2001. As part of the settlement, BP agreed to pay $18 million.... more»
49. Whiting, Ind. Refinery Clean Air Act Violations
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached an agreement with BP Products North America Inc. over alleged Clean Air Act violations at the company's petroleum refinery in Whiting, Indiana, with BP agreeing to pay almost $60,000. EPA alleged that BP discharged more than twice as much lead and cadmium from its hazardous waste incinerator during a test in March 2004 than is allowed by the Clean Air Act.... more»
50. Wind River Reservation Environmental Violations
The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency settled with BP America Production Co., CamWest, Inc. and CamWest Limited Partnership for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Oil Pollution Act on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fremont County, Wyoming. The conduct at issue involved underground injection, oil containment, and surface water discharges. The settlement included penalties and supplemental environmental projects (SEPs) totaling over $1.3 million. BP paid approximately one-third of the total.... more»
51. American Samoa Gasoline Additive Violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with Mobil Oil Australia Ltd. and BP Southwest Pacific Ltd. for alleged violations of gasoline detergent additive regulations in American Samoa that occurred between April 2000 and August 2002. Both companies agreed to pay over $340,000 in penalties and the cost of installing respiratory equipment for the LBJ Medical Center in American Samoa.... more»
52. Violation of Clean Air Act Fuel Standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached settlements with BP Products North America, Inc. Motiva Enterprises, LLC and Equilon Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Shell Oil Products US for alleged violations of gasoline and diesel fuel standards under the Clean Air Act. The settlements resolve alleged violations occurring from 1999 through 2004 at retail outlets, terminals and refineries located throughout the United States. BP agreed to pay a civil penalty of $900,000 and Shell agreed to pay a civil penalty of $600,000. BP and Shell also pledged to perform extensive remedial efforts to correct the alleged violations and to prevent the recurrence of similar violations.... more»
53. Submitting False Reports for Southern Ute Indian Tribal Land Energy Production
The U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement fined BP America, Inc. approximately $5.2 million for submitting false, inaccurate, or misleading reports for energy production that occurred on Southern Ute Indian Tribal lands in southwestern Colorado. According to the government, tribal auditors found that BP reported incorrect royalty rates and prices for royalty purposes, and reported well production on leases other than those to which the production is attributable. The government alleged that BP’s actions were knowing or willful.... more»
54. Employee Compensation Antitrust Litigation
Non-union managerial, professional and technical (MPT) employees of the major oil companies filed lawsuits under the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. § 1–7) alleging that the companies, including Exxon, Royal Dutch Shell, BP and Chevron, illegally colluded to set the wages of MPT employees at artificially low levels by sharing salary, bonus and compensation data. Lawsuits filed by Former Exxon employee Roberta Todd and several other plaintiffs were reportedly settled in 2009 for an undisclosed sum with the defendants not admitting any liability or wrongdoing.... more»
55. Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Federal Cleanup Costs
On June 3, 2010, the federal government sent BP a preliminary bill for $69 million to recoup costs incurred as a result of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The costs were incurred for federal agency support of operation of ships, aircraft and boats and support of environmental assessment/monitoring; for Department of Defense support of salvage and removal efforts; for National Guard activation and deployment in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida; and for state cleanup and environmental assessment efforts. The government will bill BP regularly for costs related to the spill according to the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command, the government and industry task force managing the spill response.... more»
56. Clean Air Act Penalty for Releases of Hazardous Pollutants at Texas City Refinery
BP Products North America agreed to pay a $15 million penalty to resolve Clean Air Act violations at its Texas City, Texas petroleum refinery. The settlement addresses violations stemming from two fires that occurred at the refinery in March 2004 and July 2005 and a leak that occurred in August 2005. The settlement also resolves allegations that BP failed to identify all regulated hazardous air pollutants used at the refinery in plans submitted to EPA.... more»
57. April 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill – Federal Contracting Suspension
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily suspended BP Exploration and Production, Inc., BP P.L.C., and affiliated companies from new contracts with the federal government. EPA took this action due to BP’s lack of business integrity as demonstrated by the company's conduct with regard to the Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, oil spill, and response, which resulted in the filing of a criminal information and BP’s pleading guilty to eleven counts of misconduct or neglect of ship officers, one count of obstruction of Congress, one misdemeanor count of a violation of the Clean Water Act, and one misdemeanor count of a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (see BP P.L.C. instance, “April 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill – Federal Criminal Settlement”).... more»
58. Gulf of Mexico Early Restoration (April 2010 Oil Spill)
BP Exploration and Production, Inc., promised to provide $1 billion for early oil spill restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico pursuant to an agreement with the Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the five states bordering the Gulf. The money will be divided among the states, Interior, and NOAA to restore coastal marshes, beaches, and barrier islands and conserve ocean habitat. The agreement does not absolve BP of legal liability for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and spill that occurred in 2010.... more»
59. North Slope Clean Water Act / Clean Air Act Settlement
BP Exploration Alaska agreed to pay $25 million in civil fines to settle charges arising from two pipeline spills on Alaska’s North Slope in 2006 and the company's failure to comply with court orders to properly maintain its pipeline. BP Exploration Alaska was held responsible under the Clean Water Act for the discharge of more than 5,000 barrels of oil onto the Arctic tundra and into a North Slope lake. The settlement also addressed Clean Air Act violations relating to BP Exploration Alaska’s improper asbestos removal along the pipeline in the aftermath of the spill.... more»
60. Deepwater Horizon Coast Guard/BOEMRE Investigation
A joint investigation team (JIT) consisting of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and the U.S. Coast Guard investigated the causes of the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The JIT concluded that the decisions and actions of BP, Transocean, and Halliburton violated federal safety regulations and caused a blowout at the Macondo well, which led to the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig. Of the more than 50 causes, contributing causes, and possible contributing causes of the disaster, BP was found solely or partially responsible for at least 25. (See pp. 194-199 of volume 2 of the final report for a summary of the JIT’s findings.)... more»
61. U.S. ex rel. Wright v. Chevron (Underpayment of Natural Gas Royalties)
BP Amoco Corp. (formerly Amoco Corp.), Amoco Production Company, BP Exploration & Oil Inc., BP America Inc., Atlantic Richfield Company, and Vastar agreed to pay $20.5 million to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and American Indian leases. The government alleged these companies improperly deducted from the royalty values they reported the cost of boosting gas up to pipeline pressures, improperly reported processed gas as unprocessed gas, and improperly failed to perform “dual accounting” on certain federal leases.... more»
62. April 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill – Federal Criminal Settlement
BP Exploration and Production reached a $4.5 billion settlement with the federal government over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, oil spill, and response. The agreement resolved all criminal claims by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and civil securities fraud charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In its resolution with the DOJ, BP agreed to plead guilty to 11 counts of misconduct or neglect of ship officers, one count of obstruction of Congress, one misdemeanor Clean Water Act count, and one misdemeanor Migratory Bird Treaty Act count. In addition, two BP supervisors on the Deepwater Horizon (Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine) were charged with involuntary manslaughter, seaman’s manslaughter, and a Clean Water Act violation, and a former senior executive (David Rainey) was charged with obstruction of Congress and making false statements to law enforcement officials. The $4 billion settlement with the DOJ includes $1.256 billion in criminal fines, a $2.394 billion payment to the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and a $350 million payment to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). BP also agreed to a term of five years’ probation and to implement measures to improve the safety of its drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico and improve its corporate ethics policies and practices. In its resolution with the SEC, BP agreed to pay a $525 million civil penalty for misleading investors by significantly understating the oil flow rate in multiple reports filed with the SEC in April and May 2010.... more»
63. Violations of RCRA, SDWA, and Superfund Financial Assurance Requirements
Several subsidiaries of BP America, Inc. agreed to pay a $426,500 penalty and ensure that more than $240 million in funds are secured to resolve violations of hazardous waste, drinking water and Superfund financial assurance requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that between 2006 and 2010, Atlantic Richfield Company, BP Exploration Alaska Inc., BP Products North America Inc., BP Corporation North America Inc., and BP West Coast Products LLC failed to meet their Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and Superfund financial assurance requirements.... more»
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