Judge: Halliburton cement specialist can testify

Associated Press –
Fri, Feb 3, 2012

UPI/U.S. Coast Guard

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A federal judge will allow a Halliburton cement specialist at the heart of decisions that led to the blowout of a BP-owned well in 2010 to testify — against the wishes of BP.


Jesse Gagliano, who worked on the well's cementing job, was interviewed by a congressional committee and testified before a government panel probing the disaster.


But in May 2011, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to be questioned under oath for the litigation. He has been identified as a possible subject of a Justice Department criminal investigation of the disaster.                 

On Jan. 13, Gagliano agreed to be questioned by civil attorneys.

BP argued against letting Gagliano testify so close to the trial, claiming it would give Halliburton a strategic advantage.


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Gulf oil spill still leaking after 7 years subject of lawsuit - Clean Water Act

By msnbc.com staff and news services

Waterkeeper Alliance says this image was taken on Dec. 30, 2011, and shows an oil sheen from the Taylor Energy

 platform that was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

Environmental groups on Thursday sued an oil company over the pace of its cleanup of a Gulf of Mexico spill that continues seven years after it was triggered by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

"The plaintiffs filed suit to stop the spill and lift the veil of secrecy surrounding Taylor oil’s seven-year-long response and recovery operation," Marc Yaggi, executive director of Waterkeeper Alliance, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in New Orleans. "Neither the government nor Taylor will answer basic questions related to the spill response, citing privacy concerns."

Justin Bloom, a Waterkeeper Alliance director, told msnbc.com that the group had made Freedom of Information Act requests for documentation "and ultimately the Coast Guard has refused to provide us documents citing the Privacy Act."

The groups allege that Taylor Energy, based in New Orleans, has violated the Clean Water Act provisions that require public participation in any enforcement of the law.


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