BP (NYSE:BP) Oil Site Security Zone Ordered by Justice Department

The Justice Department has ordered a security zone to be set up around the site of the BP (NYSE:BP) oil spill to protect against any evidence being lost.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said, "In response to a motion by the US Department of Justice, the US District Court in New Orleans has ordered the establishment of a security zone extending 750 feet in all directions from the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon wreckage site and its debris field.

"The order will be enforced by the United States using the full range of security assets available, including vessels, aircraft or other appropriate means and equipment."

The zone will also extend from the surface to the floor of the sea, in addition to the surface perimeter. The order will last through October 8, 2011 unless it is renewed.