Criminal Charges Still Possible for BP in Huntington Beach Spill
Although criminal charges are not likely to stem from the Huntington Beach oil spill of Feb. 7, state and federal lawyers said Tuesday that they have not ruled out the possibility.
The state attorney general’s office--which is coordinating the local legal response to the 394,000-gallon spill--and the Environmental Protection Division of the U.S. Justice Department have not decided whether to proceed with a criminal case against British Petroleum or ship owner American Trading Transportation Co.
“Criminal charges have neither been ruled in or out,” said Chief Assistant Atty. Gen. Andrea Ordin. “We are continuing to work with federal authorities on this so it would be premature to comment.”
State attorneys, however, appear to have put on a priority on developing civil lawsuits to recover damages.
The state’s lawsuit , which has yet to be filed, will probably parallel a 1988 case filed after Shell Oil spilled 434,000 gallons of oil into water near Martinez in Northern California. The settlement in that case resulted in a $19.5-million payment by Shell to the state.
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