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BP loses bid to cut maximum Gulf of Mexico spill fine


    (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday rejected BP Plc's attempt to reduce the maximum civil fine it could face over its role in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

    U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans agreed with the federal government that the maximum civil penalty that BP (BP..LO)could face under the federal Clean Water Act is $4,300 per barrel spilled, not the $3,000 sought by BP.

    The decision means BP could still face as much as $13.7 billion of civil fines from the spill. Barbier has not decided how much BP should pay, and it is unclear when he will decide.

    (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)