Suit says BP official resigned months before rig explosion over safety concerns

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APNewsBreak: Suit says BP official resigned months before rig explosion over safety concerns
By JUAN A. LOZANO , Associated Press

Last update: February 14, 2011 - 8:52 PM

HOUSTON - A lawsuit claims a former BP official resigned months before the rig explosion that led to the worst oil spill in U.S. history because of disagreements with the oil giant about its commitment to safety.

The amended lawsuit on behalf BP investors was filed Monday evening in Houston federal court. It says Kevin Lacy, BP's former senior vice president for drilling operations for the Gulf of Mexico, resigned because he believed the company wasn't adequately committed to improving its safety protocols in offshore drilling operations to the level of its industry peers.

The claims are part of a suit from last year that alleges BP inflated its stock price by making false statements about its safety practices before the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

A BP spokesman declined to comment.


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