Despite a short but vigorous dissent, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 7-6 on Jan. 9 to deny a petition by BP Exploration & Production for rehearing en banc of the June 4 decision finding BP to have been grossly negligent with regard to the release of crude oil into the water following the explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon.
The dissenting judges wrote that "denial of the petition for rehearing en banc ensures that our precedent concerning liability for oil spills under the Clean Water Act remains unclear."
Read the ruling and the complete dissent here.
