CONGRESSMAN FILNER CALLS ON BP TO PUT OIL SPILL VICTIMS OVER STOCKHOLDERS

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ASKS BP TO PUT DIVIDENDS IN ACCOUNT FOR OIL SPILL CLEANUP AND VICTIM COMPENSATION

 

June 18, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – As BP board members debate whether to move forward with a scheduled dividend payment, U.S. Congressman Bob Filner joined 31 other members of Congress to call on the oil company to instead direct those funds to an escrow account dedicated to cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon spill and compensating its victims.

 

“It is time for the folks at BP to put their money where their mouth is,” said Filner. “They continue to say they will pay any legitimate claims and now they need to give us some certainty of how that will happen. Directing dividend payments to an escrow account is the type of assurance that we need from BP to make sure victims will be taken care of and the spill will be cleaned up.”

 

In a letter to BP CEO Tony Hayward, the House members urged BP to ensure it has the funds to pay the full costs of the devastating Gulf Oil spill by temporarily suspending its annual $10 billion dividend. Further, the group called on BP to establish an escrow account to cover cleanup and compensation costs – and to direct dividend payments to that account.

 

“Your company has affirmed its intention to pay the full costs of this devastating environmental and economic disaster,” Filner and his colleagues wrote. “As those costs continue to rise – to $37 billion, by one estimate – the American people require an assurance that your company will be able to honor all legitimate claims.”

 

These House members first wrote BP last week urging the company to suspend its dividend and public relations campaign until it fully remedies the Gulf catastrophe. Their latest letter builds on Senate Democrats’ proposal to create a $20 billion escrow account administered by independent trustees and available for compensation claims and cleanup efforts.

 

The letter was signed by 32 House members as of this morning.  Filner is the only representative from San Diego County to sign thus far. 

 


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