# MOEX Offshore Agrees to $90 Million Partial Settlement of Liability in Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2012/02/moex-offshore-agrees-to-90-million-partial-settlement-of-liability-in-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill/
- Published: 2012-02-20T05:38:50-05:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

WASHINGTON – MOEX Offshore 2007 LLC has agreed to settle its liability in the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill in a settlement with the United States valued at $90 million, 
announced the Department of Justice, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) today.  Approximately $45 million of the $90 million settlement
is going directly to the Gulf in the form of penalties or expedited environmental
projects.

According to the terms of the settlement, MOEX will pay $70 million in civil penalties
to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act resulting from the spill and
agreed to spend $20 million to facilitate land acquisition projects in several Gulf
states that will preserve and protect in perpetuity habitat and resources important
to water quality and other environmental features of the Gulf of Mexico region. 
At the time of the spill, MOEX was a minority investor in the lease for the Macondo
well. It no longer owns any share of the lease.

The terms of today’s settlement do not affect the potential liability of – or recoveries
from – other parties involved in the [Deepwater Horizon oil](https://greenlivingguy.com/2010/06/understanding-the-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill/)
spill.

Beginning with a well blowout and explosion on April 20, 2010, the owners and operators
of the Macondo Well and the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon allowed millions of barrels
of oil to escape into the Gulf of Mexico, affecting the entire region.  Oil spills
can cause both immediate and long-term harm to people’s health and the environment.
The Clean Water Act provides for civil penalties for such discharges.  This is the
largest civil penalty ever recovered under the Clean Water Act.

“The Department of Justice has not wavered in its commitment to hold all responsible
parties fully accountable for what stands as the largest oil spill in U.S. history,”
said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “This landmark settlement is an important step–
but only a first step – toward achieving accountability and protecting the future
of the Gulf ecosystem by funding critical habitat preservation projects.”

“This will move the Gulf Coast along in its recovery as it continues to rebound 
from the largest spill in U.S. history,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp.“
The settlement demonstrates our firm commitment to hold accountable those who pollute
our environment.”

“This is good news for the Gulf Coast communities that are continuing to rebuild
their economy and restore their ecosystem. This administration is going to stand
with the people here to ensure a full recovery from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,”
said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Dedicating funds to actions that restore
the local waters is a vital part of restoring these communities.  As someone who
grew up on the Gulf Coast, I know how important clean water is to the lives and 
livelihoods of the people here, and I know we need to take every possible action
to get the ecosystem here on a path to long-term restoration.”

As part of the settlement, MOEX Offshore has agreed to pay $70 million in civil 
penalties, of which, $45 million will go to the United States.  The money will go
toward replenishing the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, where by law it will be 
available to pay for response actions, cleanup and damages caused by future spills.
The remaining penalty will go to Gulf states that participate in the settlement.
Those states will receive penalty payments as follows: $6.75 million to Louisiana,
$5 million each to Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, and $3.25 million to Texas.

MOEX Offshore has also agreed to secure and protect properties of ecological significance
for the Gulf habitats.  MOEX Offshore will ensure that properties within the states
of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Florida are transferred to – or acquired by–
state governments, non-profit groups, land trusts or other appropriate entities,
to protect those properties from development.  In all, these projects are expected
to cost at least $20 million. The negotiation process with MOEX included numerous
discussions with the Gulf states, who have been indispensible in reaching this important
agreement.

This settlement does not affect the government’s claims against any other defendant
in the Deepwater Horizon lawsuit that was filed on Dec. 15, 2010.  The trial of 
the first phase of the case is set to begin in federal district court in New Orleans
on Feb. 27, 2012.

**_Source: US Environmental Protection Agency_**

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 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
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