U.S. states want to see BP in court

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MONTGOMERY, Ala., March 6 (UPI) -- A judicial authority in Alabama confirmed there was interest in pushing ahead with a trial with BP over the Deepwater Horizon accident in 2010.

A trial against BP was postponed after the British energy company announced it reached a $7.8 billion settlement with the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, a consortium of individuals and businesses involved in a multi-district suit against the oil company.

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange was quoted by the Financial Times as saying his state would join Louisiana in pressing for an expedited trial date.

"We are fully prepared to try our case and we hope that the court sets a new trial date in the near future," he said.

States along the southern coast had their tourism, fisheries and other economic sectors devastated by the 2010 oil spill. The accident was one of the worst ever for the oil industry and 11 workers died in the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP's case with the PSC doesn't address claims from the U.S. government that BP violated the Clean Water Act or other related measures.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told lawmakers last week the federal government was "prepared to go to trial."