Government expects British Petroleum to be responsible
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux said the government is assuming it will not have to sue BP, operators of the exploded Deep Horizon oil rig leaking huge amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, which could possibly affect the Bahamas.
He said the government is keen to recover any money it may be forced to spend on clean-up operations, but noted that BP has indicated it will "foot the bill" created by the spill. Mr Deveaux said it is believed BP has a global fund that will come to bear if containment efforts have to extend to the Bahamas.
If this is the case, it will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs who handles the initial round of negotiations, he said.
Only if it became necessary for the matter to go before the courts would the Attorney General's Office be directly involved, said Minister Deveaux. He admitted that if, in the end, the government does have to sue BP, it would most likely be some time before the Bahamas receives any funds. The National Oil Spill Contingency Team is fully mobilised to respond to the spill, although officials are hoping the situation is contained before the oil slick has a chance to extend beyond the Gulf.
However, Mr Deveaux said he is not "particularly impressed" with the "fragmented" response of the US government to the crisis. He said he hopes the Bahamas' efforts will be "infinitely" more organised and effective.
It is feared that ocean currents could carry the spilled oil into Bahamian waters and devastate wildlife habitats in the north-western islands.
With the hurricane season approaching, bringing with it the potential for strong winds and increased tidal flows, the situation could be "very difficult if not impossible" to manage, Mr Deveaux warned.
He added that speculation about an impending disaster has fueled a "growing sense of helplessness and hysteria".
May 20, 2010
tribune242
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