The federal appeals court in New Orleans has narrowly refused to review its ruling that puts BP and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on the hook for paying federal pollution fines related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. In a 7-6 vote announced Friday, the 5th Circuit Court denied BP's request that the full court review the decision, which had been made by a three-judge panel of the court.

The ruling originated with U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier. He decided in 2012 that BP and Anadarko, its partner in the failed Macondo well, were responsible for paying fines under the Clean Water Act, the federal law governing oil spills.

BP and Anadarko challenged the ruling, arguing the oil leaked into the Gulf from a busted riser pipe controlled by Transocean Ltd. Transocean was the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. In June, a three-judge panel at the 5th Circuit rejected the argument, and on Friday the full court upheld the panel.

Now Barbier must determine how much BP owes in pollution fines. That will come during the third phase of the civil trial over the oil disaster, which is set to begin Jan. 20.

Read the full story at the New Orleans Times-Picayune>>

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