BP barred from new US gov’t contracts, land leases

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration put a stop to new federal contracts with BP on Wednesday, admonishing the British oil company for a “lack of business integrity” and also disqualifying it indefinitely from winning new leases to drill on taxpayer-owned lands. A lengthy list of criminal counts against BP stemming from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily suspend new contracts with BP and its affiliates, the agency said. Existing contracts won’t be affected. “EPA is taking 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,” the EPA said in a statement. Eleven oil workers were killed when a rig explosion sent oil gushing unabated into the Gulf in the largest oil spill in U.S. history. More than two years later, BP faces criminal proceedings and massive civil claims related to environmental damage.