BP Settlement Agreement Announced In July To Be Filed Monday

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Details will be known soon in an $18 billion settlement agreement announced in July to resolve years of legal fighting over damage done by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The Justice Department says the agreement involving the federal government, five Gulf states and BP Exploration and Production will be filed Monday. Then comes a 60-day public comment period — the next step toward final court approval.

The settlement would end battles over economic and environmental damage done by the nearly 134-million-gallon spill. The spill followed the April 2010 explosion of an offshore rig that killed 11 workers.

This year's government settlement comes after a 2012 settlement between BP and people and businesses harmed by the spill. That settlement so far has resulted in $5.84 billion in payouts.

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