Revelations last week about BP's failure to fully investigate and correct known defects in refinery equipment linked to a disastrous explosion March 23 indicate regulators will likely refer the case to federal prosecutors who specialize in environmental crimes, a former high-ranking Department of Justice official told the Houston Chronicle.
The information, which included the fact that BP managers deferred a repair on the unit less than two weeks before the accident, came in a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The report also said BP officials knew about frequent malfunctions of the unit for five years prior to the explosion but failed to properly investigate, according to the Chronicle.