By Letitia Stein
Dec 2 (Reuters) - Manslaughter charges were dropped againsttwo former BP well site managers involved in the deadly 2010Gulf of Mexico oil drilling disaster on Wednesday, and onepleaded guilty to an environmental crime, federal prosecutorssaid.
Donald Vidrine pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation ofthe Clean Water Act and "admitted to negligently causing themassive oil spill that resulted from the disaster," JusticeDepartment spokesman Peter Carr said in a statement.
Federal prosecutors, in a motion filed in the U.S. EasternDistrict of Louisiana, dropped the charges of involuntarymanslaughter that he and another rig supervisor had faced fortheir role in the oil drilling disaster that killed 11 people.
"Circumstances surrounding the case have changed since itwas originally charged," Carr said, "and after a careful reviewthe department determined it can no longer meet the legalstandard for instituting the involuntary manslaughter charges."
Vidrine and Robert Kaluza were the highest-rankingsupervisors on board the Deepwater Horizon rig when disasterstruck on April 20, 2010, resulting in millions of barrels ofoil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.
They had faced 11 counts of seaman's manslaughter, but thosecharges were dismissed on the grounds that their duties did notqualify for the maritime crime in a court ruling upheld earlierthis year by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Vidrine faces up to 10 months probation and financialpenalties, according to the Justice Department spokesman.
Kaluza plans to fight the Clean Water Act violation to whichVidrine pleaded guilty in a case set to go to trial in February2016, according to his attorney, Shaun Clarke.
"Bob didn't cause this tragedy," Clarke said. "He is eagerand anxious to have his day in court." (Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla.; Editing by RichardChang)