U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Department of Justice had launched a criminal investigation into the BP oil spill that continues to gush from 504,000 to 1.5 million gallons of oil daily into the Gulf of Mexico.
Holder stated that investigators would be searching for evidence of any violations of a wide array of federal statues, including The Clean Water Act, The Oil Pollution Act of 1990, The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and The Endangered Species Act.
"There is one thing I will not let be forgotten in this incident: In addition to the extensive costs being borne by our environment and by communities along the Gulf Coast, the initial explosion and fire also took the lives of 11 rig workers," said Holder in press statement. "Eleven innocent lives lost. As we examine the causes of the explosion and subsequent spill, I want to assure the American people that we will not forget the price those workers paid."
Holder assured those found responsible for the BP oil spill would repay "every cent of taxpayer money" spent to recover from damages to the environment and wildlife. "We will make certain that those responsible clean up the mess they have made and restore or replace the natural resources lost or injured in this tragedy. And we will prosecute to the full extent any violations of the law," he said.
"We have already instructed all relevant parties to preserve any documents that may shed light on the facts surrounding this disaster," stated Holder, concluding, "We will not rest until justice is done."
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