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April 18, 2014 Laura Fernandez, Acting EPA Suspension and Debarment !!

icial "#S# En$ironmental Protection Agenc% !!ice o! &rants and Debarment, '( )*01+ 1200 Penns%l$ania A$enue, ,#-# -as.ington, D#(# 204/0 !ernandez#laura0epa#go$ Dear 's# Fernandez1 n be.al! o! t.e millions o! members o! our organizations and millions o! Americans concerned about .o2 our ta3 dollars are spent, 2e call on t.e "#S# En$ironmental Protection Agenc% 4EPA5 to immediatel% suspend 6P p#l#c# and its subsidiaries 46P5 !rom recei$ing !ederal contracts# n 'arc. 1), 2014, t.e EPA reac.ed an administrati$e agreement 2it. 6P allo2ing t.e corporation to once again enter into ne2 go$ernment contracts#1 7.e agreement, attained a!ter 6P sued t.e EPA claiming its suspensions 2as an abuse o! t.e agenc%8s aut.orit%, resol$es all matters related to t.e suspension, debarment and statutor% dis9uali!ication o! 6P !ollo2ing t.e Deep2ater :orizon catastrop.e#2 -e oppose t.e decision b% t.e EPA, 2.ic. undermines its o2n substantiated arguments and discretion, to ca$e to t.e pressure o! 6P b% agreeing to li!t t.e suspension in e3c.ange !or t.e same t%pes o! promises and ine!!ecti$e procedures t.at .a$e !ailed to re!orm or deter $iolations b% 6P in t.e past# ;n !act, t.e EPA ac<no2ledges t.at 6P .as a$oided suspension in t.e past b% promising to correct t.e conditions t.at ga$e rise to t.ose prior con$ictions, noting in its =ul% 201) decision to continue suspension, >6P8s past record in sa!et% and ris< management, not2it.standing numerous c.anges, rene2ed !ocus, and promises o! ?lessons learned,8 continued to result in t.e loss o! .uman li!e and catastrop.ic damage to t.e en$ironment#@) Allo2ing 6P to resume business 2it. t.e "#S# go$ernment is irresponsible and undermines t.e spirit and t.e letter o! t.e la2s intended to protect t.e public interest !rom rec<less corporate contractors# -e are calling on t.e EPA to rig.t t.is 2rong b% using its aut.orit% to immediatel% initiate t.e dis9uali!ication o! 6P and its subsidiaries !rom !ederal contracting based on ot.er instances o! misconduct not resol$ed b% EPA8s recent agreement to li!t t.e suspension imposed !ollo2ing t.e Deep2ater :orizon disaster# A mere 11 da%s a!ter reac.ing t.e administrati$e agreement allo2ing 6P to once again enter into ne2 go$ernment contracts, 6P ,ort. America ;nc#8s petroleum re!iner% in -.iting, ;ndiana, spilled up to 1,/)8 gallons o! crude oil into La<e 'ic.igan, allegedl% !ollo2ing a mal!unction in a

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http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/bpadmin-agreement-mar-13-2014.pdf Id. 3 http://www.citi en.org/documents/bp-lawsuit-against-epa-suspension-august-2013.pdf

distillation unit# 6P originall% reported t.at onl% AB/ gallons .ad been spilled#4 ;t is un<no2n 2.et.er t.e initial misrepresentation o! t.e spill 2as accidental, but 6P .as lied about t.e e3tent o! spills in t.e past# As part o! its ,o$ember 2012 plea agreement 2it. t.e "#S# go$ernment, t.e corporation pleaded guilt% to obstruction !or l%ing to (ongress about t.e scope o! t.e &ul! oil spill#B ;n$estigation into t.e cause o! t.e mal!unction, t.e reporting o! t.e spill, and 2.et.er 6P 2as in $iolation o! t.e "#S# (lean -ater Act is under 2a%#/ 6P8s -.iting re!iner% is no stranger to legal c.allenges and go$ernment action# ;n 'a% 2012, t.e "#S# go$ernment reac.ed a settlement 2it. 6P !or $iolations o! t.e (lean Air Act 4(AA5 in connection 2it. construction and e3pansion o! t.e re!iner% to process (anadian tar sands oil, as 2ell as $iolations o! a 2001 settlement agreement entered into 2it. t.e EPA#A 7.e oil compan% 2as ordered to pa% an C8 million penalt% and in$est more t.an C400 million to install ne2 pollution controls !or t.e !acilit%# Additionall%, 6P, along 2it. !our ot.er corporations, are being sued b% residents !rom (.icago8s Sout.east Side neig.bor.ood, 2.ere t.e% claim t.at blac< dust !rom 6P8s oil re!iner% is polluting t.e air and coating t.eir .omes and propert% 2it. petroleum co<e, a b%product o! re!ining gasoline and diesel !rom tar sands oil# 7.e la2suit, !iled in ,o$ember 201), as<s a Dudge to pro.ibit 6P and t.e ot.er companies !rom bringing petco<e to t.e densel% populated Sout.east Side communit%# 7.e suit also see<s reimbursement !or en$ironmental cleanup and an% loss o! $alue to properties#8 7.e regulator% !rame2or< allo2s agenc% o!!icials to suspend go$ernment contractors 2.en t.e% suspect, upon ade9uate e$idence, a lac< o! business integrit% or .onest% t.at seriousl% a!!ect t.e present responsibilit% o! a contractor, or 2.en contractors are accused o! o!!enses indicating a lac< o! business integrit%#* 7.ese la2s are in place to protect t.e public interest# Failing to use t.is po2er!ul tool on irresponsible corporate actors, especiall% c.ronic o!!enders li<e 6P, puts t.e public8s interest at ris<, 2ea<ens debarment and suspension as a go$ernment en!orcement action, and sends a clear message to contractors t.at no matter .o2 egregious t.eir actions, t.e "#S# go$ernment 2ill continue to do business 2it. t.em# 7.is latest spill is Dust more proo! t.at !ines and promises o! correcti$e action alone 2on8t c.ange 6P8s culture o! putting pro!its be!ore people and t.e en$ironment# (onsidering aggra$ating !actors suc. as 6P8s .istor% o! mal!easance and criminal $iolations, as 2ell as t.e oil compan%8s record o! noncompliance 2it. remedial actions, t.e EPA s.ould ta<e immediate steps to e3clude all 6P entities !rom !ederal contracts#
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http://midwest.construction.com/midwest!construction!news/2014/0331-us-sens-see"-meeting-with-bpfollowing-la"e-michigan-oil-spill-.asp # http://www.$ustice.gov/opa/pr/2012/%ovember/12-ag-13&'.html & http://www.og$.com/articles/2014/03/epa-leads-investigation-of-crude-discharge-at-bp-whiting-refiner(.html ) http://www.contractormisconduct.org/ass/contractors/&1/cases/1)'3/2)2)/bp-amoco-whiting2012!epapr.pdf * http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/petco"e-class-action-lawsuit-names-bp-four-otherdefendants/article!d*&04d&a-a*&1-#434-b224-d#0f2cd'#)2a.html


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48 C.F.R. 9.407-2(a)(1)-(9) (suspicion on adequate evidence) & 48 C.F.R. 9.407-2(b) (indictment).

7.an< %ou !or %our consideration, ,ational rganizations 6e%ond ,uclear (enter !or 6iological Di$ersit% ( DEP;,E (+ED Eart.da% ,et2or< Food F -ater -atc. Friends o! t.e Eart. &reenpeace ;nstitute !or Polic% Studies, (limate Polic% Program Labor ,et2or< !or Sustainabilit% il (.ange ;nternational neStop 6usiness ;nstitute Public (itizen Sa$e t.e 'anatee (lub 7urtle ;sland +estoration ,et2or< "nitarian "ni$ersalist 'inistr% !or Eart. -ildEart. &uardians State rganizations Alabama Alabama (oast "nited peration :ome(are, ;nc# Alas<a Alas<aGs 6ig Hillage ,et2or< Alas<a ;nterI7ribal (ouncil (enter !or -ater Ad$ocac% (ali!ornia cean (onser$ation +esearc. 7.e cean Foundation -as.ington, D#(# area (.esapea<e (limate Action ,et2or< Florida (itizens Against 7o3ic E3posure, ;nc En$ironmental Jout. (ouncil 3

Floridian A9ui!er Legal De!ense rganization Friends o! 'atanzas ur Santa Fe +i$er +obert ,# :artsell, P#A# Sea 7urtle $ersig.t Protection Sout. Florida Audubon Societ% Sout. Florida -ildlands Association Suns.ine State ;nter!ait. Po2er F Lig.t 7.e (LE ;nstitute "nitarian "ni$ersalist =ustice Florida ;llinois Little Hillage En$ironmental =ustice rganization Sout.east En$ironmental 7as< Force ;ndiana (itizens Action (oalition Louisiana &ul! Future (oalition &ul! +estoration ,et2or< 'ic.igan Alliance to :alt Fermi ) DonGt -aste 'ic.igan Ecolog% (enter 'ic.igan Sa!e Energ% Future, Sout. :a$en (.apter 'ic.igan Sa!e Energ% Future, Ealamazoo (.apter P.%sicians !or Social +esponsibilit% I 'ic.igan (.apter ,e2 =erse% (lean cean Action Puerto +ico ( +ALations K Puerto +ico Sout. (arolina Libert% :ill 'issionar% 6apt# (.urc. -isconsin ,u<e2atc.

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