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 may have to deny oil spill tourism losses. The oil spill cap remains in place despite heavy winds and waves, but only a quarter of the crude gushing to the sea is being collected.
BP claims – oil spill tourism losses in question
As the oil spill in 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. Kenneth Feinberg, the man appointed by the Obama administration to handle 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 individuals who make a living from tourism say the BP oil spill is driving away visitors and costing companies billions of dollars. In a statement to the House Small business Committee, Feinberg said that claims made by companies that say tourists are staying away because they think beaches are ruined “may be non-compensatory”.
Feinberg’s priority is doling out more money faster
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. As many as 6,000 skimming vessels are sidelined by 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. The oil company has paid out almost $ 130 million so far on 41,000 claims — but more than 80,000 claims have been submitted. Feinberg said “to give small companies more certainty” his new office, the Gulf Spill Independent Claims Fund, will send out six-month lump sum payments instead of the month-to-month emergency checks going out now.
BP faces record fine for record oil spill
As the Gulf of Mexico’s white beaches turn brown, wildlife dies off and the fishing industry implodes, The Associated Press reports that the oil that’s spewed for two and a half months from the blown-out well a mile under the sea hit the 140.6 million gallon mark, eclipsing the record-setting, 140-million-gallon Ixtoc I spill off Mexico’s coast from 1979 to 1980. Keeping track of the growing total is essential, according to Larry McKinney, director of Texas A and M University at Corpus Christi’s Gulf of Mexico research institute, who told AP that BP’s fine grows along with the gallons.
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usatoday.com
money.cnn.com
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