The settlement ended all civil and criminal penalty claims against the owners and operators of the rig – BP, Anadarko, TransOcean and Halliburton – under the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act. It also included economic damage claims submitted by the five Gulf states and their local governments.
Full Answer
Who is Andrea Fleytas?
Andrea Fleytas never wanted to be a small-business owner. The 27-year-old Long Beach resident studied marine transportation at California Maritime Academy in Vallejo and earned a 3rd mate’s license to navigate with unlimited tonnage. That includes everything from container ships to semi-submersible drilling platforms.
What happened to Fleytas after the oil rig accident?
In a halting voice, Fleytas tells of falling off the rig herself and having to be rescued. “We all ate in the same galley,” said Fleytas, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder for two years afterward. “It wasn’t easy to recover from the accident. I had lots of therapy just to hold on.”
What signal did MS Fleytas call over the radio?
Ms. Fleytas grabbed the radio and began calling over a signal monitored by the Coast Guard and other vessels. "Mayday, Mayday. This is Deepwater Horizon. We have an uncontrollable fire."
How much compensation did Deepwater Horizon survivors get?
It was largely settled when a Federal District judge approved the largest environmental damage settlement in United States history – $20.8 billion – on April 4, 2016.
Did Andrea Fleytas survive?
The actress plays crew member Andrea Fleytas, who survived the explosion that occurred on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010.
Did the crew of Deepwater Horizon get a settlement?
BP has been ordered to pay $5.5 billion to settle civil damages claims made by the U.S. as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The amount will be paid over the course of 16 years.
Where is Donald Vidrine now?
Donald J. Vidrine, who faced prosecution as one of two BP supervisors on the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, died on Saturday at his home in Baton Rouge, La.
Is Deepwater Horizon still underwater?
After approximately 36 hours, Deepwater Horizon sank on 22 April 2010. The remains of the rig were located resting on the seafloor approximately 1,500 m deep at that location, and about 400 m northwest of the well.
Why did they not cut the pipe on Deepwater Horizon?
The 11-minute animation illustrates how the Deepwater Horizon's blowout preventer failed to seal the well on the night of the accident because drill pipe buckled due to a mechanism known as “effective compression.” The video shows that the blowout preventer's blind shear ram – an emergency hydraulic device with two ...
Who profited from the BP oil spill?
Spillionaires -- Profiting off the BP Oil Spill "It's been very good for our business, I'll tell you that," said businessman Ronnie Hyer, whose company sells safety equipment to cleanup crews.
How much did BP settle for?
In November 2012, BP agreed to pay $4.5 billion in criminal fines and fees to the federal government. The U.S. and state governments also filed a civil lawsuit against BP under environmental laws, which resulted in an $18.7 billion settlement in July 2015.
Were there any survivors of Deepwater Horizon?
94 of the workers who survived were taken by lifeboat and 17 were evacuated by helicopter. Some jumped from the rig as the fire spread. The workers who lost their lives ranged in age from just 22 years old to 49 years old; 2 were engineers and 9 were crew members on the platform floor.
What happened to Donald Vidrine and Robert Kaluza?
Vidrine and fellow rig supervisor Robert Kaluza were indicted in 2012 on manslaughter charges, but the case eventually fizzled after a judge threw out some of the manslaughter charges and prosecutors elected to drop the rest.
Who was at fault on Deepwater Horizon?
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said BP was mostly to blame for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster, which killed 11 people and spewed oil into the water for 87 days. Barbier attributed 67% of the fault to BP, 30% to Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, and 3% to Halliburton, the cement contractor.
Where is Mike Williams from Deepwater Horizon now?
HollywoodAnd this takes us to where Williams is now: he's in Hollywood (or, well, Hollywood adjacent). Williams actually helped make Deepwater Horizon come to life. He worked as a consultant on the film and was a consistent presence on set, something he said he did to honor the 11 men who died in the disaster.
What happened to the BP executives on Deepwater Horizon?
Vidrine and fellow rig supervisor Robert Kaluza were indicted in 2012 on manslaughter charges, but the case eventually fizzled after a judge threw out some of the manslaughter charges and prosecutors elected to drop the rest.
How accurate is Deepwater Horizon film?
But, unlike many films based on true events, Deepwater Horizon actually stays remarkably close to real life. The film chronicles the last moments on the drilling rig for which the movie is named in remarkable detail.
What was the cause of Deepwater Horizon?
The central cause of the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig was a failure of the cement at the base of the 18,000-foot-deep well that was supposed to contain oil and gas within the well bore.
Is Jimmy Harrell alive?
(AP) — Jimmy Harrell, a supervisor on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, has died at age 65. Harrell, who worked for rig owner Transocean, died Monday, according to Wolf Funeral Home in Morton, Mississippi. He had battled cancer for a year.
Who was dismissed by Transocean?
Transocean had moved in August to dismiss claims of Bill Johnson, Allen Seriale, Andrea Fleytas, Stephen Bertone, and James Ingram.
When did Seriale sue Galveston County?
Seriale sued the same defendants in Galveston County in August 2010.
Why did Transocean hide behind the Fifth Amendment?
Transocean lawyer Kerry Miller of New Orleans alleged they hid behind the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions about their injuries.
Who is the judge for the Cameron International case?
Cameron International removed the suit to federal court, and multi district judges in Washington transferred it to U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans.
Did BP take their case to court?
BP removed their cases to federal court in Wilmington anyway, claiming plaintiffs fraudulently tried to defeat federal jurisdiction by failing to sue Transocean as their true Jones Act employer.
What did Fleytas suffer from?
“We all ate in the same galley,” said Fleytas, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder for two years afterward. “It wasn’t easy to recover from the accident. I had lots of therapy just to hold on.”.
How old is Andrea Fleytas?
Andrea Fleytas never wanted to be a small-business owner. The 27-year-old Long Beach resident studied marine transportation at California Maritime Academy in Vallejo and earned a 3rd mate’s license to navigate with unlimited tonnage.
Who helped Fleytas make empanadas?
Fleytas had fond memories of growing up with grandparents who would let her knead pizza dough or help make empanadas.
How much does Fleytas spend on a convection oven?
Fleytas spent roughly $25,000 on a four-tray convection oven, a 13-quart mixer and shelves and shelves of glass jars to store everything from fine whole-wheat flour and granulated sugar to medium brown sugar and raisins. There’s a lot more.
When did Andrea Fleytas testify?
Andrea Fleytas testified via telephone at the U.S. Coast Guard and Bureau of Energy Management joint investigation of the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.
When did Doug Martin testify?
Doug Martin testified at the U.S. Coast Guard and Bureau of Energy Management joint investigation of the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. In his remarks he said…
Who testified at the Deepwater Horizon explosion?
Nick Wilson testified at the U.S. Coast Guard and Bureau of Energy Management joint investigation of the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. He testified about…