EPA Suspends BP From Further Contracts With US

Link here at Oil and Gas Journal.com.

Based on what little I know about it, it stems from the spill.

From what I read, as the lead agent, EPA has full authority to act unilaterally, banning any oil company from doing business with the federal government at any time. Interesting.

‘When someone recklessly crashes a car, their license and keys are taken away.’

The story was also picked up by Rigzone.com:

BP did not bid on any blocks in the lease sale; BOEM Director Tommy Beaudreau said it did not know BP had not submitted any bids until the bids were opened Wednesday. While BP was not barred from bidding, BOEM would not have been able to accept any bids from BP until BP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work through an administrative agreement with BP, Beaudreau commented during the conference call Wednesday.

EPA announced Wednesday that it was temporarily suspending BP from entering into new contracts with the Obama administration due to BP's "lack of business integrity" in relation to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and response. The EPA's voluntary suspension would only apply to new leases, not to BP's existing leases in the Gulf.

Voluntary suspension?

And more links:

Page 3, of first section (we've talked about importance of page 3 many, many times), only story: BP blocked from deals, WSJ.

The Boston Globe: ‘When someone recklessly crashes a car, their license and keys are taken away.’