Judge: BP liable for oil spill claims

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A U.S. judge says BP and Andarko are responsible parties in the 2010 oil spill caused by the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.

A gas explosion at the rig killed 11 workers and led to a massive oil spill.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ruled Wednesday that BP and Anadarko are responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and are liable for civil penalties under the Clean Water Act for the undersea oil spill from the Macondo well.

The rulings, which increase pressure on BP, were made in response to motions by the Justice Department for partial summary judgment as the trial over allocating fault in the April 2010 oil spill is about to begin, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune said Thursday.

Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig, is not a responsible party under OPA for oil spilled below the surface of the water, Barbier said, but the company may still be responsible for the cost of removing the oil. The court has not yet determined whether Transocean is liable for penalties under the Clean Water Act as an operator of an offshore facility

Transocean has said it does not believe it is an "operator" of the vessel under the law.