On day 72 of the disaster Thursday, the oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico 2010 became the worst oil spill ever within the region. Cleanup efforts came to a halt his week as Hurricane Alex increased the amount of oil washing ashore. Tourism in the gulf, normally booming on 4th of July weekend, isn’t expected this year. Adding insult to injury for gulf residents, the federal chief of BP oil claims said he might have to deny oil spill tourism losses. Meanwhile, the oil spill cap remains attached in the high winds and heavy seas, but it only captures about 25 percent of the crude that continues to spew from the undersea gusher to the gulf.
In doubt – BP claims for oil tourism losses
The head of the $ 20 billion BP oil claims program had more bad news as 4th of July tourism was declared dead for 4th of July weekend. Kenneth Feinberg, the man appointed by the Obama administration to deal with the claims, said companies hurt because tourists have stayed away from the Gulf may not be eligible for reimbursement, USA Today reported. Tourism officials and people who make a living from tourism say 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 company Committee in Washington.
BP oil claims – bigger checks faster
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to gush up to 60,000 barrels a day, a team of U.S. scientists has estimated. About 6,000 oil skimming ships are languishing in port thanks to Hurricane Alex. As the disaster continues indefinitely, CNN reports that Feinberg’s priorities for economic victims of the spill are bigger checks and more efficient processing. Even though more than 80,000 claims have been made, the oil business has only made good on 41,000 worth about $ 130 million. Instead of the month-to-month emergency checks going out now, Feinberg plans to have his new entity, the Gulf Spill Independent Claims Fund, send out six-month lump sum payments “to give small companies 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 will be fined for each gallon that escapes into the gulf, said Larry McKinney, director of Texas A and M University at Corpus Christi’s Gulf of Mexico research institute.
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