Gulf Oil Spill: Cleanup Has Cost Federal Taxpayers $87 Million So Far

Federal officials say cleaning up the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has already cost the government $87 million, making it the third-most expensive cleanup effort in the nation's history.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry has distributed that money to state and federal agencies directly involved in the cleanup. Those include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which projects the oil slick's trajectory, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which rescues oil-soaked birds.

A senior financial analyst at the National Pollution Funds Center says an additional $38 million in emergency money has been assigned to the Deepwater Horizon spill, but it has yet to be spent.

The most expensive cleanup was the Exxon Valdez spill, which cost $121 million. The second was $89 million for cleaning up a 1994 oil spill off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Comments

[hard center]

06:44 PM on 05/28/2010

I hope these people here have learnt a valuable lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o0iJDA7_lY&feature=related

[sven1olaf]

01:28 AM on 05/28/2010

send the invoice to BP

[maxfax]

12:12 AM on 05/28/2010

That's pretty well proves it, BP's in charge, they messed up and now taxpayers are paying for BP's criminal negligence. Wrong again, Mr. President.

BP=Basically Poison

[ccurtis]

11:18 PM on 05/27/2010

Why the he$$ are we paying for this. Shouldn't this tax be put on the share holders of BP and all other companies responsible for this disaster. For those of us who do not have one single dime invested in any of these compainies and have never profited from them we should not have to pay one single dime to clean this mess up!

[maxfax]

12:12 AM on 05/28/2010

Why? Because British Petroleum is in charge, that's why.

[bforjustice]

09:27 PM on 05/27/2010

A video on the subject everyone should see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_enCDXmVj0

[maxfax]

12:14 AM on 05/28/2010

Everyone should see this and pass it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXIo8fGkNJo&feature=related

[JaxReader]

08:33 PM on 05/27/2010

Listen, I hate BP as much as the rest of you. I also am aware that the big oil companies and our government share a disgusting relationship.

BP has already paid 3 times more than the cap.. The cap should absolutely be changed, lifted, etc. but even as it stands there is no way BP was going to be able to hide behind it, and they knew it.

The U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990 limits payouts for private economic and public natural-resource claims to $75 million. Basically the after effects of the spill. (which sucks, and GOP politicians are defending) But it still requires the oil companies responsible for the spill to pay ALL of the cleanup costs.

But even besides all that, there is no way that BP would fall under this. There are exceptions to the Act that would make the $75 million cap unattainable for BP. "Gross negligence" and "willful misconduct" and "the violation of safety rules." There is NO way BP will be able to prove it did not engage in any of those. There is no way this many pissed off Americans, will let them not be held accountable. No amount of GOP politicians will be ale to successfully defend BP on this one. Waaayyyy to much information has already leaked which show that BP engaged in all three of these exclusions.

[NWTrillium]

09:34 PM on 05/27/2010

I hope you are right but...Bernie Saunders got no reassurrances from BP rep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvCboeNRF9M
They are trying to get out of taking responsibility. Obama's team told us they would clean up Wall Street and we have seen the bonuses continue and business as usual.
Obama is too cool and too detached and his team once again unprepared and giving bad advice as how to proceed with the whole mess. He is too busy fund raising with Getty Oil in CA this week collecting 35K checks from many folks. Meanwhile the worst ecological disaster is playing out on the U.S. coast.
Environmentalists warned him about drilling in Alaska and gave him plenty to think about all the issues surrounding it and he still went ahead. His team has been in place for 1.5 yrs now and they still didn't change inspections method of having the oil companies fill out their own inspection report. I don't buy how he plays innocent and naive about the extent of what could have happened. There are 3K more of these rigs out there and who really knows what condition they are in certainly the government doesn't and is this just the beginning of more problems with these rigs. Eleven men died and where do they pay for that in the 75 million? How can you even begin to quantify the cost of the ecological damage that has occurred and how many decades will it take to recover?

[JaxReader]

01:37 PM on 05/31/2010

I agree with your sentiments. I also am aware of the corruption in the government, and I sincerely hope that BP cannot avoid accountability this time. I will say however, that I am not surprised that with only 1.5 years in office and everything else we have been subjected to, this level of inefficiency in our government still exists. Obama is not magical, but I agree that his stance should be a lot tougher on offshore drilling.

[dawgspiel]

03:56 AM on 05/28/2010

If they don''t make good on what they did, seize every last asset they have in the U.S. and auction it all off to their rivals.

I'm tired of footing the bill for rogue corporations.

[NWTrillium]

10:29 AM on 05/28/2010

Totally agree but my guess is certain congressional folks have manuvered on behalf of them and made sure that laws aren't in place to do that. Congress never worked from day one if you read the history. Presidents from the beginning were frustrated with the lack of concern and work they did. They were always jocking for their own interests from the beginning. It wasn't ever a perfect idea or anything close to it. I think of this whole thing more like a national security issue. This isn't the first war that came about because of a lack of fuels. Japan started up over it. Now we are in the gulf because of it. I wish a president would take more action to protect our interests here as an act of national security and make us less dependent on fossil fuels. But there is no will there. Too many corporations run this country. We need big green companies to push Congress and President like the oil companies do.

[JaxReader]

01:33 PM on 05/31/2010

I absolutely agree!

[jasongrundy]

08:15 PM on 05/27/2010

I want to make sure EVERYONE understands this. The tax payers will pay 89 MILLIONS, BP and Oil Industry receives BILLIONS in tax breaks....BP profits BILLIONS a month. And by profit, that means when all their expenses are paid including employees, they put BILLIONS in the bank...Thank CHENEY and the Bush Administration.!!!!!!....Our policies have to change.

[pfrogger]

07:55 PM on 05/27/2010

* cough * 75 million

and on top of that this is ONLY what they have shelled out so far. it doesn't take into account all the time and money that state and federal officials have spent over this disaster. how about the coast guard? no that isn't included either. how about the damage to the environment? to people that live there and are cleaning the area? how about that economy? the unemployment checks for those in that area that will be out of jobs THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN!!!
and carry this for another 10-20 years? how about that cost?
this is like the financial meltdown. wall street and the bankers were responsible. bailed out by the politicians they bought BY TAXPAYER MONEY. then people were laid off and unemployment went through the roof. and what happened ...? those responsible were bailed out and made more money than ever before, and everyone else lost their jobs, homes, and had their lives destroyed, often through NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. but the no-strings-or-oversight bailout happened immediately. and the effort to save jobs and homes was half-@ss and useless.
and now we mix and repeat. who's fault and responsibility? who'll pay? *cough* 75 million. the taxpayer. and who'll transfer the cost of this to the consumer? BP. their mistake, their responsibility, but the taxpayer pays. this isn't capitalism, this is a complete corporate takeover of america.

[jasongrundy]

08:17 PM on 05/27/2010

More like a "HIC CUP"

[Eyeful]

07:53 PM on 05/27/2010

The government simply needs to bill $87 million to BP who repeatedly said they would cover all costs, but it ain't over yet...

[pfrogger]

08:02 PM on 05/27/2010

75 million is the cap.
get used to that when they defend themselves. it's perfectly legal.
taxpayers will be paying for BPs mistake. either directly, or indirectly as BP passes the costs to consumers.

[Eyeful]

12:42 AM on 05/28/2010

The only "cap" that BP should be concerned about is the one for this leak. They are being pressured not only by the government but every other oil company because this affects them also. The nuclear energy industry virtually shut down after Three Mile Island and this is much worse.

[pinkylee23]

07:49 PM on 05/27/2010

Dirge for the age:
DUMP OIL on 'adolf' svanberg, suttles and hayward!
Dump oil on all BP workers!
Jail all BP workers for life
Strip all BP workers of their assets and use them for the clean up
Dismantle BP as a warning to other 'oilistas'
Jail all regulators for life
Fire salazar
Fire chu
Remove obama from the B(ack) P(ocket)
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!

DUMP OIL on 'adolf' svanberg, suttles and hayward!
Dump oil on all BP workers!
Jail all BP workers for life
Strip all BP workers of their assets and use them for the clean up
Dismantle BP as a warning to other 'oilistas'
Jail all regulators for life
Fire salazar
Fire chu
Remove obama from the B(ack) P(ocket)
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!

[reno 77]

07:42 PM on 05/27/2010

Reminds me of the “you break it, you bought it” signs you see in retail stores.
BP just “broke” the Gulf of Mexico…and it’s time for them to pay up.

[GirlUsingBrain]

07:12 PM on 05/27/2010

Oh no ya don't! I expect BP to reimburse us for every cent we have spent and will spend on this horrible disaster!

[pfrogger]

07:56 PM on 05/27/2010

*cough* 75 million

[JaxReader]

07:10 PM on 05/27/2010

This article is stupid. That is what the government has paid so far, actually its more like 100 million, and BP is repaying it to the government.

[Fight The Right]

07:35 PM on 05/27/2010

great joke...hahhahahahahaha And Bush is paying for his wars.....HAHAHAHAHAh

[JaxReader]

08:05 PM on 05/27/2010

Sarcasm? HAHAHAHA! I do not see how your Bush reference relates though.. Hahahahahahah. But seriously.

[pfrogger]

07:56 PM on 05/27/2010

*cough* 75 million.
that's the cap. taxpayers eat the rest. suck it.

[JaxReader]

08:22 PM on 05/27/2010

Hahaha! "suck it" Was not expecting that. That made me laugh, I'm not being facetious.

But BP has already paid 3 times more than the cap.. The cap should absolutely be changed, lifted, etc. but even as it stands there is no way BP was going to be able to hide behind it, and they knew it.

The U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990 limits payouts for private economic and public natural-resource claims to $75 million. (which sucks) But it still requires the oil companies responsible for the spill to pay all of the cleanup costs. But even besides all that, there is no way that BP would fall under this. There are exceptions to the Act that would make the 75 million cap unattainable for BP. "Gross negligence" and "willful misconduct" and "the violation of safety rules." There is NO way BP will be able to prove it did not engage in any of those.

[SamKnause]

06:57 PM on 05/27/2010

Why? I thought BP was footing the bill for every penny. What changed? Why are we not sending the 87 million dollar bill to BP?

[stopthemadness69]

07:53 PM on 05/27/2010

I'm sure BP will pay for it, but are you suggesting the government wait for BP to send the check before we rescue birds or try to predict where this may go? We can't have it both ways. If we want the gov to step right on in then it will cost us up front. You want proof that the gov has been there all along? The proof is in the 87 million.

[JaxReader]

08:23 PM on 05/27/2010

Thank you for being rational.

[pfrogger]

07:57 PM on 05/27/2010

*cough* 75 million.
BP will NOT be paying a single dime of this.

[gaysofla]

06:56 PM on 05/27/2010

Wait. I'm confused. I thought BP is paying for all of this.