U.S. government suing BP - WCIV-TV | ABC News 4 - Charleston News, Sports, Weather

U.S. government suing BP

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The government has announced it's suing British Petroleum (BP) and eight other defendants over the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The civil lawsuit will be heard in New Orleans, where 80 other related lawsuits have been consolidated.

The Justice Department alleges safety and operational violations led to the massive oil rig explosion on April 20 that eventually leaked an estimated 205 million gallons of oil into the Gulf.

The lawsuit seeks unlimited penalties against all but one of the nine defendants, to pay for all removal costs and damages caused by the spill.