Federal Agencies Move to Sever Regulatory Challenges from MDL Cases

NEW ORLEANS - Government agencies defending regulatory decisions affecting BP's drilling operations have asked the judge presiding over the Deepwater Horizon multi-district litigation to sever their two cases from those by plaintiffs seeking damages as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, MDL No. 2179 [Gulf Restoration Network Inc., et al. v. Salazar, et al., No. 1497; Gulf Restoration Network Inc., et al. v. Department of the Interior, et al., No. 1630] (E.D. La.).

The motion to sever was filed …