Press Release: It’s unfortunate that the public’s chance to understand what went wrong and who is to blame for the worst off-shore oil disaster in history has been delayed.
This trial holds the promise of finally determining that BP and their partners were grossly negligent in the events leading up to the BP deepwater drilling disaster, which continues to plague our Gulf.
If a settlement is ultimately reached, GRN feels it is critical that the agreement answers three important concerns:
Restoring the Gulf: A settlement must secure the equivalent of BP’s Clean Water Act liabilities of $21 billion for restoration initiatives above and beyond the Natural Resource Damage Assessment efforts.
Protecting the Gulf: BP and their codefendents must commit at least $100 million to fund a Gulf Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council to increase oil industry transparency and community accountability.
Long-term monitoring of the health of the Gulf: A research fund of $5 to $10 billion should be established to make sure that the ongoing threats to the Gulf presented by BP’s oil and other ecological challenges are well researched and adequately responded to. This research must be tied to a reopener clause which would allow the settlement to be revisited if unanticipated impacts are found.
The importance of this trial cannot be understated. Though we’ve had many investigations by many expert entities, this is the first time subpoena power has been utilized to dig through BP’s dirty laundry and truly expose what led up to this disaster.
Any part of this statement can be quoted with attribution to Aaron Viles, Deputy Director, Gulf Restoration Network.