The Environmental Protection Agency, no slouches, occasionally performs surprise tests of oil companies’ ability to contain spills. Twice the EPA visited such tests on BP. You can guess how BP fared.
BP Products North America will pay $210,000 and create enhanced oil spill response programs at all of its U.S. oil facilities under the terms of a consent agreement announced Thursday. …
The EPA said the company twice failed to pass unannounced oil-spill exercises administered by the EPA and U.S. Coast Guard at the Curtis Bay Terminal [in Maryland]. BP was unable to contain a small-scale discharge of fuel from the facility in the time allotted for the test.
The Department of Justice, which levied the punishment, also demanded that BP review its response plans.
Additionally:
BP’s 12 “high-risk” and marine petroleum facilities also will be independently audited to make sure emergency response tactics are up to par.
BP also failed a 2010 test of its ability to contain a spill at a marine facility.
Test results: conclusive.
