BP (NYSE:BP) Getting $308 Million Government Grant Money

As unbelievable as it may sound, BP (NYSE:BP) is getting a $308 million grant from the federal government. The money is to be used to build a power plant on cotton and alfalfa fields in California's farmland. Part of the money is coming from federal programs while the other part is coming from stimulus funds.

The part coming from the stimulus funds alone is the second largest amount given to a corporation, and the largest in the country benefiting private interests. The grant was announced last year by The U.S. Department of Energy to Hydrogen Energy California, a joint partnership with BP.

Tom Frantz, a local environmental advocate said, "If you're trying to get money out of them, why are you giving them money? If I was the government right now, I would not give BP $300 million to do anything."

When questioned, BP declined comment, but CEO Tony Hayward in 2007 said during the announcement of this venture that, "projects such as these have the potential to help deliver the carbon emission reductions which companies and countries around the world are now seeking."

BP (NYSE:BP) Civil Lawsuit, Plaintiff Wildlife Activists

It seems among the many civil lawsuits and class action lawsuits, BP (NYSE:BP) is facing yet another one, the plaintiff being wildlife activists. The plaintiffs are saying that endangered turtles are intentionally being put at risk by BP because they are getting trapped in the booms used for the collection of oil. Then the turtles are being burned by the controlled burns that BP is using to eliminate oil from the spill.

William Eubanks and Jason Burge, lawyers for the environmentalist have requested a restraining order against BP for any further activities in the Gulf that will threaten or put the endangered turtles further into harms way. The papers were filed in a New Orleans Federal Court yesterday. A simple solution would be for BP to check the corrals for the turtles before the oil is ignited, said the environmentalist. They are also claiming that the killing of these endangered turtles is viewed as an "illegal taking" of an endangered species under the environmental laws.

" BP has already killed or otherwise harmed" hundreds of the Kemp's Ridley, Loggerhead, and Leatherback's, among many other species of endangered turtles. BP is the only defendant named in the lawsuit. Tony Odone, BP's spokesman said they had no comment on pending litigation.