Bondi Sues BP Ahead of Expiring Statute of Limitations

MANATEE COUNTY – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi marked the third anniversary of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill by filing a lawsuit, through which the state seeks to recuperate sales taxes, use taxes, corporate taxes, documentary stamp taxes, cigarette surcharges, cigarette excise taxes, beer, wine, and liquor taxes, fuel taxes, rental car surcharges, and utility taxes and receipts it lost due to the spill.

In a statement, the AG said she filed the suit against BP and Halliburton under the Oil Pollution Act, in the U.S. Northern District Court in Panama City. The lawsuit includes numerous federal, state and maritime counts. The statute of limitations under the OPA was set to expire after three years, according to the Miami Herald.

As part of the suit, Florida will also seek “punitive damages under maritime and Florida common law due to the egregious nature of the misconduct that led to this environmental and economic disaster.”