"BP will be allowed to participate in an upcoming U.S. offshore oil and gas lease sale despite its role in the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, a top government regulator said on Thursday."
"Michael Bromwich, head of the newly formed Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, said his agency determined that it would not be appropriate to ban BP from obtaining new leases to drill offshore.
'They don't have a deeply flawed record offshore,' Bromwich told reporters after testifying at a House Natural Resources committee hearing.
'The question is, "Do you administer the administrative death penalty based on one incident?" and we've concluded that's not appropriate.'
The department has scheduled a lease sale in December, offering more than 20 million acres for development in the western Gulf of Mexico."
Ayesha Rascoe reports for Reuters October 14, 2011.
SEE ALSO:
"Exxon Aims to Bail on Payments for Valdez Damage" (Mother Jones)
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