BP Faces $18 Billion Fine For Gulf Oil Spill

This article describes the ruling by a district judge regarding BP's responsibility, which is shared with other parties in America's greatest environmental disaster.  The judge stated that BP was negligent that it was primarily responsible for the loss of life and damages.  This fine comes on top of $28 billion that BP has already paid for environmental damages and $4 billion in penalties for manslaughter.  BP has been forced to sell off assets in order to pay for the penalties that it has been assessed.  The judge did not mince words in his summation.  He stated that BP placed cost savings and time savings ahead of safety in the decisions that it made leading up to the disaster.