28 August 2015, News Wires – A New Orleans independent will pay $400,000 for coastal research as part of a settlement in a lawsuit over a US Gulf of Mexico oil spill that started in 2004, according to reports.
Taylor oil sheen (Photo: AP/Scanpix/Upstream)
Taylor Energy was sued by Waterkeeper Alliance in 2012. The environmental group accused Taylor of withholding information about the leak’s impact on the US Gulf, wire service Associated Press reported.
In April, the AP published a report that found that the spill, which was caused by Hurricane Ivan 11 years ago, was much worse than originally reported by Taylor and the US government.
The spill began when underwater mudslides caused by the storm down a platform operated by Taylor in Mississippi Canyon Block 20.
The mudslides buried 28 shallow-water wells about 10 miles off Louisiana’s coast, making it difficult to stop oil leaks caused when the platform fell..
In addition to the cash settlement, Taylor will hold a public forum and set up a website with information on the company’s sill response, the AP reported.
Taylor sold its oil and gas assets in 2008 and stopped all drilling and production operations.
Calls to Taylor and Waterkeeper Alliance seeking comment were not immediately returned.
– Upstream
