U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier today ruled BP spilled 3.2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 — a decision that caps the company’s fine at $13.7 billion. Via Bloomberg, Barbier rejected the government’s estimate that BP spilled 4.2 million barrels in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The potential maximum fine under that estimate was $18 billion.
Barbier’s prior decision that BP acted with gross negligence in the incident exposed the company to maximum fines under the Clean Water Act. BP does not expect the judge to levy the maximum fine.
SEE ALSO: Supreme Court denies BP's oil spill settlement appeal
