Transocean Accusing Government of Mishandling Key Piece of Evidence

Posted: Sep 16, 2010 3:01 PM
Updated: Sep 16, 2010 3:01 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) - The companies being sued in the largest
offshore oil spill in history are accusing the government of
mishandling a key piece of evidence.
In a new federal court document, the company that owned the
drilling rig, Transocean, says federal investigators aren't
adequately preserving evidence from the rig's failed blowout
preventer, a key safety device. It's now sitting at a NASA facility
in New Orleans. How exactly it will be studied is the subject of a
court hearing set for Thursday in federal court in New Orleans.
Earlier court records obtained by The Associated Press show that
the companies are upset about the government's plans. They
complained unsuccessfully to a judge about the government shipping
the device to a NASA facility that they said is not equipped to
house or test it.

Topics: Transocean, Accusing, Government, Mishandling, Key, Piece, of, Evidence