Florida has filed a lawsuit against British oil company BP and cement contractor Halliburton over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, becoming the fourth state to seek damages for the 2010 disaster.
The suit faults BP for not changing the batteries on the rig’s blowout preventer. Halliburton was blamed for installing faulty cement barriers that were supposed to gird the well against oil pressure.
The complaint by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was filed in U.S. District Court in Panama City. The federal court has jurisdiction under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
Bondi filed the suit on the three-year anniversary of the tragedy that killed 11 rig workers in the Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi also sued BP on the anniversary, while Louisiana and Alabama sued BP earlier and are participating in a federal trial that is ongoing in New Orleans to determine the liability of BP and others. Cities and counties along the coast also have filed.
A BP spokesman declined comment and Halliburton spokespeople were not immediately available.
“BP knew or should have known that the manufacturer recommended replacement of the batteries in the battery packs at least once per year,” the suit says. Divers later couldn’t manually turn it on, either.
The suit focuses on the state’s economic losses and includes negligence and other claims under federal, state and maritime law. Bondi argues that the 2010 spill cost the state a variety of tax revenues, including sales taxes, gasoline taxes, cigarette surcharges and beer, wine and liquor taxes.
The spill fouled beaches along the Gulf coast, discouraging tourists. About 85 million tourists generate $80 billion of business in the state a year, according to the complaint.
“Without this level of tourism, Florida suffers, as do many of the local people and communities who are supported by it,” the complaint said. Moreover, BP “publicly acknowledged that it would cover or otherwise make funds available for damages … as a result of the spill.”
The state also seeks punitive damages.
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