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Oil giant British Petroleum (BP) has been temporarily banned from obtaining new contracts with the U.S. government, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“EPA is taking this action due to BP’s lack of business integrity as demonstrated by the company’s conduct with regard to the Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, oil spill, and response, as reflected by the filing of a criminal information,” the agency said in an official statement Wednesday.
More than 200 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, and 11 people died in the platform explosion.
“Suspensions are a standard practice when a responsibility question is raised by action in a criminal case,” the EPA said, adding that the suspension will not affect BP’s existing contracts with the federal government.
BP recently agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges in connection with the massive offshore oil spill. It also agreed to pay $4.5 billion in damages, which includes $1.26 in criminal fines.
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