A grim milestone was reached July 1 as the BP oil spill became the worst ever in the Gulf of Mexico. Cleanup efforts came to a halt his week as Hurricane Alex increased the amount of oil washing ashore. The booming tourism expected on the Gulf coast as the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaches is virtually non-existent. What’s more, the government overseer of BP’s oil spill claim program said oil spill tourism losses not qualify. On the scene, the oil spill cap continues to function in the storm, but only about 25 percent of the gushing crude is being contained.
Feinberg – BP claims for oil spill tourism in doubt
As the oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico 2010 killed tourism for the Fourth of July weekend, the man in charge of the $ 20 billion BP oil spill claims fund bore bad news. USA Today reports that companies hurt because tourists have stayed from the Gulf not be eligible for reimbursement as outlined by Kenneth Feinberg, the man appointed by the Obama administration to handle the claims. Tourism officials and individuals who make a living from tourism say that the BP oil spill is driving away visitors and costing companies billions of dollars. Feinberg said that so-called indirect claims made by companies losing business because tourists believe beaches are fouled with oil are “may not be compensatory” in a statement to the House Small business Committee in Washington.
Feinberg bent on improving BP oil claims process
U.S. scientists have estimated that up to 60,000 barrels a day continue to gush from the oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Alex has taken up to 6,000 skimming ships out of commission. As the environmental and economic disaster spreads with no end in sight, CNN reports that Feinberg said his priorities could be to cut bigger checks and send them out faster to the oil spill’s economic victims. The oil company has paid out almost $ 130 million so far on 41,000 claims — but more than 80,000 claims are submitted. Instead of the month-to-month emergency checks going out now, Feinberg said his new entity, the Gulf Spill Independent Claims Fund, will send out six-month lump sum payments “to give small businesses more certainty”.
BP faces record fine for record oil spill
As the oil that has spilled for two and a half months turns the Gulf of Mexico’s white beaches brown and kills both wildlife and also the fishing industry, The Associated Press reports that BP’s blowout has passed the 140-million gallon Ixtoc 1 spill off the coast of Mexico 30 years ago. The total amount of the oil spill needs to be tracked because BP could be fined for each gallon that escapes to the gulf, said Larry McKinney, director of Texas A and M University at Corpus Christi’s Gulf of Mexico research institute.
Citations:
usatoday.com
money.cnn.com
google.com/hostednews/ap/article
