The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

Opinion Blast: BP Finally Pays Up

Opinion Blast: BP Finally Pays Up

A Department of Justice official stated on Nov. 16  that the oil company British Petroleum will have to pay a record amount to settle criminal claims arising from their 2010 oil spill.

The infamous spill covered affected 580 square miles of the gulf of Mexico and reeked tremendous amounts of damage on wildlife and the livelihoods of fishermen. BP’s negligence and blame in this debacle cannot be overstated and they deserve to pay every dollar in repairs.

Owning and operating a giant off shore oil rig is an incredible responsibility and one that BP failed to maintain. The spill was the greatest enviromental disaster in United States history and was 20 times worse than the Exxon Valdez spill. On top of that all, 11 people also died on the rig when it exploded.

The spill affected more than just the enviroment. The Christian Science Monitor reported that fisheries account for 17 percent of Louisana jobs. This particular industry had to lay off many due to the spill’s effects, leading many Louisana natives without a job.

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BP has already paid 20 billion to a trust fund and 7.8 billion to assorted lawyers, but the company still turned out a profit of 43 billion dollars over the nine financial quarters since the spill.

With that in mind, I sincerely hope that BP has to pay the highest amount possible to the people who have been hurt by their irresponsible maintenance of the rig.

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