Judge Says Halliburton Not Responsible For Many Of Pollution Claims From BP Oil Spill

Another one of the companies involved in the Oil Spill gets a break. A judge rules that Houston-based Halliburton will not have to pay many of the pollution claims that resulted from the disaster because it was shielded in a contract with BP. But the judge says Halliburton is not exempt from paying punitive damages and civil penalties that may arise from the nation's worst offshore oil disaster. Those penalties could amount to billions of dollars. This ruling is similar to one the same judge issued last week for Transocean. They were the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig. Halliburton supplied cement for the ill-fated well.