AP PHOTOS: A look back at the 2010 Gulf oil spill

(AP) – A high-stakes trial started Monday to assign blame and help figure out exactly how much more BP and other companies should pay for the 2010 Gulf oil spill. Under the Clean Water Act, which is designed to punish companies and prevent future spills, a polluter pays a minimum of $1,100 per barrel of spilled oil; the fines nearly quadruple for companies found guilty of grossly negligent behavior.

Here’s a gallery of photos looking back at the aftermath of the nation’s worst offshore oil spill.

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