B - Food & Water Watch

Selected History of BP Consumer, Environmental
and Workplace Safety Violations
April 2010
March 2010
September 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
Deepwater Horizon platform collapses, Gulf Coast disaster.
Ohio BP Refinery Fined Again for Workplace Safety Violations:
BP’s Ohio refinery was cited for proposed fines of more than $3
million for allegations of 42 willful violations and 20 serious
violations of U.S. workplace safety standards. 1
BP Receives $87 Million in Penalties for Unaddressed Worker
Safety Violations at Texas City Refinery: The U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration levied $87.4 million in penalties
for allegedly failing to implement workplace safety improvements
under a settlement after the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion. Four
more workers died at the refinery after the explosion. In 2009, OSHA
found 270 uncorrected workplace safety violations and 439 new
workplace safety violations. 2
BP-Chartered Helicopter Crash Kills 16 in North Sea: A BPchartered
helicopter departing a BP North Sea oil rig crashed killing
both pilots and 14 passengers in the worst United Kingdom
helicopter accident in more than two decades. 3
BP Workplace Safety Guilty Plea Finalized by U.S. Courts: U.S.
Federal Court approved BP’s guilty plea and $50 million criminal
fine for a criminal workplace safety charge related to the Texas City
Refinery disaster. BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone
noted that, “If our approach to process safety and risk management
had been more disciplined and comprehensive, this tragedy could
have been prevented.” 4
BP Agreed to Pay Nearly $180 million in Fines to Correct 8-Year
Old Texas City Refinery Air Pollution Violations: BP agreed to
pay almost $180 million for failing to bring the refinery into
compliance with air pollution rules under a 2001 consent decree to
correct U.S. Clean Air Act violations. 5
BP Settles Another Fine for Underpaying for Oil Leases and
Royalties: BP paid a $35 million to settle a class action lawsuit
(without admitting wrongdoing) for underpaying landowners for the
right to drill oil on their land. 6
BP Pays $18 million to Settle Enron-Era Electricity Sales Scam:
BP paid an $18 million settlement with California utilities and
officials for overcharging consumers for electricity during
California’s 2000 and 2001 energy crisis. 7
BP Fined for Leaking Michigan Gas Station Tanks: Michigan
fined BP $869,000 for failing to clean up leaking gas station tanks
years after the leaks were brought to BP’s attention. 8

2007 BP Dedicated $2 Billion to Pay for Fines, Lawsuits Resulting
from Deadly 2005 Texas City Refinery Explosion: BP set aside
$2.125 billion to pay for civil cases brought by the families of the
victims and survivors of the Texas City refinery disaster. 9
December 2006
September 2006
BP Evacuates North Sea Platform After Collision: BP evacuated a
North Sea platform after a supply boat collided with the platform’s
support legs, possibly compromising the structural integrity of the
platform. 10
U.S. Congressional Hearing Reveals Climate of Fear Prevents BP
Employees from Bringing Problems to Corporate Leadership: A
report commissioned from the Vinson & Elkins law firm found that
the atmosphere at BP “chills” reporting concerns about BP
operations. 11 One worker was threatened with firing for allegedly
filing a complaint that corrosion inspection staff was cut by 25
percent. 12
September 2006 BP Pays $900,000 Air Pollution Fine: BP paid a $900,000
settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for
emitting volatile organic compounds from its gasoline stations. 13
April 2006
March 2006
July 2005
March 2005
BP Fined $2.4 Million in Worker Safety Fines for Ohio Refinery:
U.S. inspectors fined BP $2.4 million for workplace safety violations
in a Ohio refinery similar to problems that contributed to the Texas
City refinery explosion. 14
BP Leak Biggest Spill on Alaska’s North Slope: A corroded
pipeline leaked 267,000 gallons of crude oil at BP’s Prudhoe Bay
facility, a leak Alaska regulators rated “the largest spill of crude on
the North Slope.” 15 In August, BP shut down Prudhoe Bay after a
second pipeline corrosion caused a second, smaller leak. 16 BP
ultimately paid $20 million in fines and restitution and admitted “BP
Exploration Alaska failed to take necessary actions to prevent the
March 2006 pipeline spill.” 17 In 2009, BP agreed to pay $1.7 million
in fines to the state of Alaska for oil spill containment violations on
Alaska’s North Slope. 18 By 2010, U.S. authorities still sought
millions of dollars to remedy alleged water and air pollution
violations and for failing to meet promised deadlines to prevent
future spills. 19
Hurricane Significantly Damages BP’s Thunder Horse Deep Sea
Platform in Gulf of Mexico: Hurricane Dennis struck and
destabilized the giant Thunder Horse in 2005. 20 BP found that
incorrectly installed ballast piping caused a 30-degree list that dipped
the platform into the Gulf. 21 In 2006, BP found additional problems
with key subsea equipment in the underwater manifolds and
compression systems. 22
Texas City Refinery Explosion and Fire Kills 15 Workers,
Injures More than 170: An explosion and fire at the BP Texas City
refinery killed 15 workers and injured more than 170. 23 The
explosion occurred after monitoring alarm systems failed to alert the
plant that the octane-boosting unit overfilled with highly combustible

chemicals and vapors. 24 The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB)
attributed the explosion to BP’s disinterest in safety procedures; the
CSB president stated “we were absolutely terrified that such a culture
could exist at BP.” 25 The Texas City blast was the worst industrial
accident in the United States in fifteen years. 26 The Texas City and
other U.S.-based BP workplace fatalities accounted for more than
one-fourth of U.S. refinery workplace fatalities between 1995 and
2005 and were ten times higher than fatalities at Exxon facilities. 27
November 2004
July 2004
BP Fined £200,000 for North Sea Gas Leak: BP was fined
£200,000 for a 2002 gas leak on a North Sea platform that was the
result of pipeline corrosion the UK prosecutor called “an accident
waiting to happen.” 28
BP Fined £25,000 for North Sea Diesel Spill: BP was fined
£25,000 for leaking 6.5 tonnes of diesel fuel from a supply ship
refueling a drilling platform. 29
2003- 2004 BP Admits it Manipulated Propane Prices, Pays $300 Million in
Fines, Charges: BP paid $303.5 million in fines, penalties and
restitution to settle the charges that BP generated a $20 million profit
from manipulating propane market and artificially driving up
propane prices for consumers. 30
July 2002
December 2001
October 2001
March 2001
January 2001
June 2000
June 2000
BP Settles U.S. Suit Over Leaking Fuel Storage Tanks: BP paid a
$46 million settlement to after its Arco subsidiary ignored a
requirement to improve leaking underground fuel storage tanks at 59
gas stations for a decade. 31
BP Spill in Luton, England Takes 9 Years to Resolve: A 2001 BP
gas station spill leaked 40,000 liters of gasoline. Although BP was
fined £60,000 and cleaned up half the spill, the full cleanup was not
fully completed until 2010. 32
BP Fined for North Sea Workers’ Exposure to Gas Leaks: BP
was fined more than £200,000 for North Sea gas platform workers’
exposure to gas leaks for four years on an Amoco gas platform. 33 (BP
subsequently merged with Amoco.)
Explosions at Georgia State BP Plastics Plant Kill 3 Workers:
Explosions killed 3 workers shutting down plastics production
operation when leaking liquefied polymers caught fire. 34
BP Spends $600 million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations: BP
Amoco agreed to spend approximately $600 million to resolve Clean
Air Act violations at eight refineries and pay an additional $10
million in civil penalties. 35
BP Spills Heating Oil into the River Tweed: BP Fuels was fined
£15,000 and spent £200,000 to clean-up after polluting a tributary of
the River Tweed with home heating oil. 36
Two BP Grangemouth, Scotland Refinery Safety Breaches within
Days: BP was fined $1.43 million when a ruptured steam line
threatened the safety of local residents and a flammable gas leak

three days later caused employees to “run for their lives” when about
9 tonnes of flammable vapor exploded. 37 (BP has since sold
Grangemouth.)
April 2000
February 2000
May 1999
March 1999
October 1998
April 1994
July 1991
October 1990
March 1988
February 1985
BP Underpaid Royalties on Federal and Indian Lands: BP
Amoco agreed to pay $32 million to settle claims that it underpaid
royalties to the U.S. government on oil leases on federal and Indian
land. 38
BP Pays Total $22 Million over Hazardous Materials Dumping:
BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. agreed to pay $15.5 million in fines and
$6.5 million in civil penalties for failing to immediately report
hazardous materials dumped at a North Slope oil field. 39
BP Given Maximum Fine for North Sea Explosion: BP
Exploration received the maximum £20,000 fine for an explosion and
fire on a North Sea gas platform after BP admitted breaching health
and safety regulations. 40
BP Pays $1.75 million for Ohio Air Pollution: BP Oil Company
paid $1.75 million under a consent decree for its alleged illegal air
pollutant discharges and reporting violations at its Ohio refinery. 41
BP Given Record Fine for Manipulating Trades on the UK Oil
Commodity Market: BP was fined a record £125,000 by the
London-based International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) for
manipulating the price of 500 diesel and home heating oil commodity
contracts and failing to cooperate with the exchange’s investigation. 42
BP Fined over Fire at Grangemouth Plant: BP Chemicals was
fined £200,000 for a fire at its Grangemouth plant that killed one
worker and seriously burned three others. BP also was ordered to pay
each injured worker £10,000. 43
BP Assessed Record Workplace Safety Fine for Fatal Refinery
Explosion: BP was fined a record $135,000 for violations leading to
fatal explosion at a Washington state refinery that killed one worker
and injured six others. 44 Additionally, BP Oil Co. settled a lawsuit
brought by the family of the worker who was killed for $4.3
million. 45
BP Fined $2.3 Million for 6 years of Water Pollution: BP Oil
Corp was fined $2.3 million for discharging pollutants for 6 years
into the Delaware River from its Pennsylvania refinery. In addition,
BP Oil spent more than $25 million to build a new treatment
system. 46
BP Given Then-record Fine after Grangemouth Explosions: BP
was fined a record £750,000 after three workers were killed in two
separate explosions at the Grangemouth refinery. The first explosion
occurred after workers reported a chemical leak but returned to work
after a BP employee claimed it was safe. 47
BP Fined for North Sea Fire on Site of Prior Blowout: BP was
fined £15,000 for safety violations after gas was released from an oil

well-bore hole ignited a North Sea fire. Previous drilling had
encountered a blow-out close to the site, and seismic tests had shown
the potential of shallow gas-bearing sands in the area of the
platform. 48
Notes:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 U.S. Occupational!Health and Safety Administration. Press Release. “U.S. Labor Department’s OSHA Proposes More than $3
Million in Fines to BP-Husky Refinery Near Toledo, Ohio.” March 8, 2010.
2
U.S. Department of Labor. "Fact Sheet on BP 2009 Monitoring Inspection." Occupational Safety & Health Administration.
October 29, 2009.
3 Milmo, Cahal. "BP suspends link with helicopter firm after crash." (London) The Independent. April 2, 2009.
4 BP America, Inc Press Release. “BP America announces resolution of Texas City, Alaska, propane trading, law enforcement
investigations.” October 25, 2007; British Petroleum. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing 20-F, 2009.
5 US Environmental Protection Agency. “BP Products to pay nearly $180 million to settle Clean Air violations at Texas City
Refinery.” February 19, 2009.
6 Laura Dichter et. al v. BP America Production Company. Case No. D-0101-CV-200001620, State of New Mexico, First
Judicial District. Notice of Settlement. August 15, 2007.
7 “U.S. FERC approves $18 mln BP-California settlement.” Reuters. July 6, 2007.
8 Lam, Tina. “BP is fined for leaking underground tanks.” Detroit Free Press. June 2, 2007.
9 British Petroleum. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing 20-F. 2007 and 2008.
10 “Alert on oil platform after collision.” (Aberdeen) Press and Journal. December 14, 2006.
11 Davidson, Paul. “Congressmen slam BP executives at Alaskan oil leak hearing.” USA Today. September 7, 2006.
12 Mauer, Richard. “BP was warned of intimidation.” Anchorage Daily News. October 3, 2007.
13 US Environmental Protection Agency. “BP, Shell Pay $1.5 Million in Penalties for Auto Gas Violations Threatening Public
Health.” October 5, 2006.
14 U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Press Release. “OSHA Fines BP $2.4 Million for Safety and Health
Violations.” April 25, 2006.
15 “Alaska hit by ‘massive’ oil spill.” BBC. March 11, 2006.
16 BP. Press Release. “BP to shutdown Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.” August 7, 2006.
17 BP Statement on Settlements. “BP America Announces Resolution of Texas City, Alaska, Propane Trading Law Enforcement
Investigations.” October 25, 2007.
18 Alaska Department of Law and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Press Release. “State Reaches Settlement
with BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.” September 22, 2009.
19 Loy, Wesley. “Federal regulators, BP work on settlement for ’06 spills.” Anchorage Daily News. May 23, 2010.
20 Andrew, Kelly. “Delays at Thunder Horse add to BP’s woes.” The Oil Daily. September 19, 2006.
21 Greising, David. “Troubles run deep on Gulf oil platform.” Chicago Tribune. May 28, 2007.
22 “New Thunder Horse Woes.” International Petroleum Finance. June 1, 2006.
23 U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Press Release. “OSHA Fines BP $2.4 Million for Safety and Health
Violations.” April 25, 2006.
24 Porretto, John and Dan Caterinicchia. “Probe of BP plant blast cites oversight.” Associated Press.
25 “Poor BP safety standards at root of refinery blast.” Birmingham (UK) Post. March 20, 2007.
26 Porretto, John and Dan Caterinicchia. “Probe of BP plant blast cites oversight.” Associated Press.
27 Olsen, Lise. “BP refinery deaths top industry in U.S.” Houston Chronicle. May 16, 2005.
28 Barry, Maggie. “Gas Leak: BP Fined.” Daily Mirror. November 17, 2004.
29 Innes, John. “Diesel spill in sea costs BP £25,000.” Scotsman. December 6, 2005.
30 U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Press Release. “U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Charges BP
Products of North America, Inc. with Cornering the Propane Market and Manipulating the Price of Propane.” June 28, 2006; BP
Statement on Settlements. “BP America Announces Resolution of Texas City, Alaska, Propane Trading Law Enforcement
Investigations.” October 25, 2007.
31 Carrell, Severin. “BP pays $46m settlement after breaching US anti-pollution laws.” The Independent. July 7, 2002.
32 “One fuel spill BP need worry about no longer.” Luton Today. May 14, 2010.
33 The Scotsman. “BP fined more than GBP 200,000.” October 13, 2001.
34 Edwards, Johnny. “Three die in fatal explosion at Augusta, Ga. BP Amoco Polymers Plant.” Augusta Chronicle. March 14,
2001.
35 US Environmental Protection Agency press release. “EPA finalizes agreement with petroleum refinery.” January 19, 2001.
36 The Scotsman. “BP fined 15,000 pounds over river pollution.” June 14, 2000.
37 “Grangemouth incidents scar BP.” The Oil Daily. January 23, 2002.
38 Sniffen, Michael J. “BP Amoco to Resolve Royalties Case.” Associated Press. April 11, 2000.
39 Speiss, Ben. “BP settles for $15.5 million; company also faces probation in dumping of toxic waste.” Anchorage Daily News.
February 2, 2000.
40 The Herald (Glasgow). “Maximum fine for oil firm over gas explosion.” May 11, 1999.
41 US Environmental Protection Agency press release. “BP Oil must monitor flaring of gases at Toledo refinery.” March 15,
1999.
42 The Herald (Glasgow). “Business: Oil giant is fined for false trade.” October 16, 1998.
43 The Herald (Glasgow). “BP Chemicals fined £200,000 over death fire.” April 22, 1994.
44 Lange, Larry. “Refiner cited for violations in fatal blast; British Petroleum fined record $135,000 for safety 'shortcuts.'” Seattle
Post-Intelligencer. July 16, 1991.
45 Lange, Larry. “BP Oil to pay $4.3 million in refinery death.” Seattle Post Intelligencer. January 12, 1993.
46 Associated Press. "BP Oil assessed $2.3 million fine for polluting river. (Delaware River)." The Oil Daily. Energy Intelligence
Group. October 24, 1990.
47 The Herald (Glasgow). “BP is fined pounds 750,000 after fatal blast at refinery.” March 22, 1988.
48 The Guardian (London). “BP Fined 15,000 pounds on safety charge after North Sea fire.” February 6, 1985.!!