I have been watching the oil spill carefully and fighting to make sure we get BP to take care of ALL costs associated with the spill. I first started meeting with BP and US Environmental almost two weeks ago. Rlee Flowers and Scott DeLano have attended most of the meetings as well. We have all attended other meetings separately that one or the other of us could not and shared the info we learned with each other. It has been a team effort.

At all of those meetings, BP told us they would pay for all legitimate claims for the cleanup.

They told us they were working on fixing the well night and day and hoped to have a solution within days.

BP was optimistic that the impact would be minimal but were careful not to paint a rosy picture.

BP told us that they had a plan for cleanup that had already been put into place and that the plan was in motion and going as well as it could be.

They told us that we were being protected and that there were plans in place to protect the small craft harbor.

They told us they would pay for legitimate claims incurred by the city's efforts to keep oil pollution away or to clean it up.

Generally, BP tried to give us the impression that there was nothing we, as a city, needed to do because they were doing everything that could be done.

MY OUTLOOK AND ACTIONS....

I have no problem letting BP go about their plans to clean up the spill. In fact, under the 1990 Oil Pollution Act, we are only able to recover our costs if our efforts are 'consistent with the National Contingency Plan' (NCP). So the first thing we did as a council was to empower the administration to hire an environmental expert to MAKE sure that we worked within the program- and they did.

The financial limits of liability for BP of 75 million dollars that seem to have been talked about in the news appear to only be over and above the actual costs of the cleanup. [33USC2704 Limits of Liability] Gulfport should be able to recover all our expenses since our efforts are being coordinated with the NCP through our environmental firm.

When BP told us that they would pay for all our claims, I specifically and directly asked BP to put the money up front. They looked at me funny. So I asked them again. “If you are going to pay for it like you say you are, put some money up front like a disaster recovery loan and we will give you receipts and unused money back.”

They still looked a little funny.

I went on, “Any loss you were going to pay us for to clean up will already be paid for and we will give you the rest when it is over. You need to know we are still broke from Katrina and are still waiting on FEMA to pay us back for items they said they would reimburse us for. Just like you said you will do.”

Everyone in the room was nodding their head in agreement with me. The Gulfport contingency, Mayors from Biloxi, Long Beach, and Pass Christian- all were agreeing. Rlee Flowers from our Ward 6 also reinforced that statement with statements of his own.

“We'll take it under advisement.” The BP rep said.

Advertising- I told BP we needed them to pay for tourism advertising. They looked at me like I was crazy. I told them that people were not coming to the Coast TODAY because they think our beaches are full of oil. BP said they would take it under advisement as well.

I am sure I was not the only one asking for these things in the 3 state area, But I was the only one those days at our meetings. I have attended at least 13 of those meetings in the last 10 days or so. They are about the same each time. BP says they are working on the problem and everything is under control.

I can hope they are right but I don't get the luxury of being able to bet or count on it. I do not get paid to represent Gulfport and Ward 4 for what will probably happen. I have to watch out for what MIGHT happen.

So I'm not counting on BP making it all go away.

Neither is the rest of the council. We have worked together as a team with the Mayor and his staff to make sure Gulfport does not waste resources nor let any gap in BP's plan to protect us let oil that could have been kept out get in. I am certainly not saying we will not have oil hit our beaches or affect us. It is affecting us now. Fishing is closed outside of our state waters and the tourism industry is reeling from the bad publicity.

But we will work in the city to do everything we can to keep it from us and we will recover all monies from BP that we expend doing it. BANK on that part.

So... for now....

I asked BP to put some money up front. They did. 25 million dollars.

I asked BP to pay for advertising to let people know our beaches and charter boat fishing was still open for business. They did- half a million dollars worth.

I've asked the administration to hire our own environmental consultants to review the information that BP was providing to us and to charge that consultant to BP. They did.

I've promised to keep you up-to-date- I just did! And will continue to do so!

FB “Rusty” Walker, IV

Ward Four Gulfport, MS