Home / Issues / US civil Clean Water Act settlement and consent decree with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
US civil Clean Water Act settlement and consent decree with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Settledas of 31 Oct 2026United StatesBP Exploration & Production Inc.BP p.l.c.draft
Current status
Confirmed fact · as of 4 Apr 2016
The USD 5.5bn Clean Water Act CIVIL penalty and associated civil claims were resolved by consent decree entered 4 April 2016 (corroborated by the EPA enforcement summary).
A U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Deepwater Horizon — civil settlement and consent decree (entered April 4, 2016) (4 Apr 2016) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026 · A U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, U.S. and Five Gulf States Reach Historic Settlement with BP to Resolve Civil Lawsuit Over Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (5 Oct 2015) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026 · B U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Deepwater Horizon — BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (enforcement summary) (5 Oct 2015) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Confirmed fact · as of 4 Apr 2016
This civil settlement is distinct from the earlier separate criminal matter, in which BP Exploration & Production Inc. pleaded guilty and was sentenced to about USD 4bn in criminal fines, penalties and restitution (criminal plea entered 29 January 2013).
A U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, U.S. and Five Gulf States Reach Historic Settlement with BP to Resolve Civil Lawsuit Over Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (5 Oct 2015) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Unanswered question · as of 2 Jul 2015
The consent decree did not cover BP's 2012 private economic and medical class-action settlements, opt-out claims, or securities litigation in MDL 2185; those proceedings are outside this record.
B BP p.l.c. (SEC Form 6-K), BP agreements in principle to settle federal, state and local Deepwater Horizon claims (2 Jul 2015) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Last reviewed 31 Oct 2026. An initial allegation is not the final event; this block is always shown.
How it unfolded
Issue raised · 20 Apr 2010
Proposition: The United States, on behalf of the EPA and other agencies, alleged BP was liable for a civil penalty under the Clean Water Act and for natural resource damages under the Oil Pollution Act arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon/Macondo blowout and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This civil claim is separate from the earlier criminal matter.
Affected parties: BP Exploration & Production Inc., BP p.l.c., United States of America, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas
Originating record: A U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, U.S. and Five Gulf States Reach Historic Settlement with BP to Resolve Civil Lawsuit Over Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (5 Oct 2015) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Response · BP p.l.c. · 2 Jul 2015
Attributed claim · as of 2 Jul 2015
BP described the agreements in principle as providing 'a path to closure for BP and the Gulf' (chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg) and 'a realistic outcome which provides clarity and certainty for all parties' (group chief executive Bob Dudley), with headline amounts of up to USD 18.7bn including a USD 5.5bn Clean Water Act civil penalty payable over 15 years. — BP p.l.c.
B BP p.l.c. (SEC Form 6-K), BP agreements in principle to settle federal, state and local Deepwater Horizon claims (2 Jul 2015) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Outcome · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (consent decree lodged by DOJ and EPA) · 4 Apr 2016
settlementbinding
Confirmed fact · as of 4 Apr 2016
A civil consent decree resolving US and Gulf-state civil claims over the Deepwater Horizon spill was lodged in federal court in New Orleans on 5 October 2015 and entered by the court on 4 April 2016. It requires BP to pay a Clean Water Act civil penalty of USD 5.5bn (plus interest), USD 8.1bn in Oil Pollution Act natural resource damages (plus USD 232m reserved for unknown damages), USD 4.9bn to the five Gulf states, up to USD 1bn to local governments, and about USD 600m for other claims and cost reimbursements - a civil resolution worth more than USD 20bn (the DOJ described the global figure as about USD 20.8bn). It is separate from, and in addition to, BP Exploration & Production Inc.'s earlier criminal plea.
A U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, U.S. and Five Gulf States Reach Historic Settlement with BP to Resolve Civil Lawsuit Over Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (5 Oct 2015) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026 · A U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Deepwater Horizon — civil settlement and consent decree (entered April 4, 2016) (4 Apr 2016) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Remedy: Clean Water Act civil penalty of USD 5.5bn plus interest; USD 8.1bn natural resource damages under the Oil Pollution Act; payments to Gulf states and local governments; cost reimbursements. Payments spread over about 15-18 years and backed by parent-company guarantees.
Appeal/review: none — Entered by the court on 4 April 2016 after a public comment period; the civil consent decree was finalised. A U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Deepwater Horizon — civil settlement and consent decree (entered April 4, 2016) (4 Apr 2016) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
How to read this. Allegation, response and outcome are separate, dated records. "Decided/resolved" appears only where a cited outcome supports it. Materially affected parties can request a correction via Corrections & response.