Tagged: BP oil spill

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to set a new trial date for this summer for government claims against BP over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP has asked the judge to set a January 2013 trial date. 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — By arresting a former BP engineer, federal prosecutors are showing their hand in the Gulf oil spill case. They have been probing whether BP PLC and its employees broke the law by intentionally lowballing how much oil was spewing from its out-of-control well. The arrest came two years and four days after the drilling-rig explosion. 

BP is heading back to federal court in New Orleans on a proposed settlement over its oil spill two years ago. Shrimp processors are objecting to some terms.

A former BP engineer is the first person facing criminal charges stemming from the oil spill two years ago in the Gulf of Mexico. Allegations center on deleted text messages.

Former BP engineer Kurt Mix of Katy, Texas, is facing two counts of obstruction of justice. He’s accused of deleting 200 text messages exchanged with a company supervisor. Prosecutors say Mix was discussing internal information about failing efforts to cap the gushing underwater well.

"The first criminal charges in connection with the BP oil spill have been filed against a former BP engineer named Kurt Mix," NPR's Carrie Johnson reports exclusively.

Carrie just told our Newscast unit that Mix has been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly deleting text messages after the spill. The texts were related to the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf. Mix will make his first appearence in court today.