NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The federal trial over the 2010 BP oil spill resumed Monday with a focus on the company’s response to the disaster, with billions of dollars at stake as the two sides argue over how much oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.
The government and BP have different estimates; establishing how much oil leaked will help determine the penalties the oil company must pay.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier is expected to hear two hours of statements Monday from lawyers for BP and for Gulf Coast residents and businesses who claim the spill cost them money.
The second phase is divided into two segments. The first explores methods BP employed to cap the well. The second is designed to help Barbier determine how much oil spilled into the Gulf.
