The Justice Department has blasted the oil giant BP for its handling of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, accusing the company of “gross negligence and willful misconduct.” The charge was made in a court filing amidst ongoing talks over settling BP’s liabilities. U.S. government lawyers write: “The behavior, words and actions of these BP executives would not be tolerated in a middling size company manufacturing dry goods for sale in a suburban mall.” The government’s language suggests that officials have taken the side of scientists and local residents who say the oil spill has caused major environmental damage.