Texas Attorney General on the BP Oil Spill
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Yesterday the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that tar balls from BPs Deepwater Horizon were located on Texas shores. While we do not yet know -- and cannot yet calculate -- the ultimate damage this ecological and economic disaster will inflict upon the state of Texas we do know that BP will be held fully financially accountable for the costs incurred by the taxpayers when state and local governments engage in clean-up and response efforts.
Equally important BP will also be held responsible for the economic harm suffered by coastal businesses fisherman landowners individuals and communities as a result of the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Over the last few weeks the
Office of the Attorney General has participated in an ongoing series of meetings and conference calls with BP Gulf State attorneys general the U.S. Department of Justice and relevant Texas state government agencies to prepare for the States legal response in the event oil from the Deepwater Horizon reached our shores.
BP has repeatedly assured us that they will fully compensate communities businesses individuals and governmental entities that incur costs because of this oil spill.
To ensure that BP fulfills its promises this morning I spoke with Jack Lynch BPs General Counsel to request that BP provide $25 million to fund Texas response and clean-up efforts -- just as it did for each of the other Gulf Coast states.
That request was formalized in a letter sent to BP earlier today.
Additionally this morning I spoke to
Kenneth R. Feinberg Administrator of the $20 billion BP-funded Gulf Coast Claims Facility. During that conversation I requested that claims offices be opened in Texas so that
coastal residents fisherman and small businesses can seek compensation for any economic harm they suffer because of this spill.
My request was submitted to Mr. Feinberg earlier today.
Based upon Mr. Feinbergs very helpful comments during our conversation I am confident that claims offices will be opened in the State of Texas in the next few weeks.
For the last three months the Texas Attorney Generals Office has been collaborating with the attorneys general from Louisiana Mississippi Alabama and Florida on legal strategies that will hold BP accountable for the damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon spill-and to help protect our coastal communities businesses and ecological resources. That multi-jurisdictional effort also includes the U.S. Department of Justice which is working with the Gulf State attorneys general to pursue the full array of civil and criminal legal actions against BP.
Throughout this process the Texas Attorney Generals Office has worked with the
Texas General Land Office the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Governors Office on a coordinated state response to the oil spill. That response includes baseline testing of Texas waters that will document our coasts condition before the oil spills arrival so that BP can be held responsible for any degradation or damage that occurs because of the Deepwater Horizon spill.
While the Texas Attorney Generals Office and relevant state agencies are immediately taking steps to respond to the arrival of oil from Deepwater Horizon at this time the General Land Office which oversees the states
response to oil spills is reporting that just five gallons of tar balls have been located on Texas shores.
The amount of oil that has come to shore in Texas so far has not required the closure of Texas beaches. Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the General Land Office continue to monitor the situation.
Texas businesses fishermen or coastal residents who have been economically harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill should contact (800) 440-0858 to make a claim.
Texas state and local governments that have incurred costs because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill clean-up and response effort contact (281) 366-8895 to make a claim.
response to oil spills is reporting that just five gallons of tar balls have been located on Texas shores.
The amount of oil that has come to shore in Texas so far has not required the closure of Texas beaches. Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the General Land Office continue to monitor the situation.
Texas businesses fishermen or coastal residents who have been economically harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill should contact (800) 440-0858 to make a claim.
Texas state and local governments that have incurred costs because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill clean-up and response effort contact (281) 366-8895 to make a claim.
