Louisiana AG to Feinberg: Keep State in the Loop

While the claims process related to the BP oil spill may be improving, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell still wants to keep tabs on it.

A Louisiana district court judge in June approved Caldwell’s request to investigate BP. The AG is seeking information on the company’s process for compensating Louisianans affected by the disaster. Caldwell wants BP to turn over data related to the oil spill claims process and information on the explosion and spill.

Gov. Bobby Jindal has designated another $5 million – for a total of $10 million – of the $25 million block grant provided by BP to Caldwell’s office to support BP-related expenses.

In a letter to Kenneth Feinberg, overseer of BP’s $20 billion oil spill compensation fund, Caldwell said Louisiana should have an active role in developing a data-sharing protocol between BP and federal and state governments regarding claims processing. The AG also requested information concerning how the third-party administration of the oil spill compensation fund will be managed, including:

• Any literature developed in preparation of the management of the oil spill fund and/or any literature developed regarding past funds which Feinberg has managed;
• The identity of the third-party claims administrator and all subcontractors selected, or the process by which the claims administrator will be selected;
• The timeframe for the takeover of the claims process by the administrator;
• How the National Pollution Fund Center or other federal agencies will oversee the process;
• Expected improvements in the claims process; and
• The level of transparency and participation that Louisiana will be granted in the claims process of the new oil spill compensation fund.