In the last 50 days, approximately 35 million gallons of oil have spewed into the gulf, resulting in the worst environmental disaster in American history. The oil spill has destroyed wildlife, wreaked havoc on our marine ecosystems, and debilitated thousands of families who depend on fishing and tourism for their way of life. While BP has stated that it will provide compensation to those individuals and businesses economically impacted by the oil spill, its claim offices in the Florida Keys, in my congressional district, have provided little assistance to those seeking relief. Individuals so overwhelmed by the BP claims process have actually had to hire lawyers to help sift through the mounds of paperwork required. These additional burdens imposed by BP are deplorable. If BP is committed to fixing this disaster and rebuilding our devastated communities, then it must act quickly and responsibly in processing these claims.
Editor's note · Context
The speaker addresses the impact of the BP oil spill on the Gulf Coast and the inadequacies of the claims process.
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