BP ultimately is liable for the cost of cleaning up the spilled oil. The Oil Pollution Act caps additional economic damages at $75 million, but BP has said it will pay all legitimate claims, and some Democrats in Congress want to lift the cap and apply it retroactively. President Obama has said he wants to update the laws to "make sure that the people in the Gulf, the fishermen, the hotel owners, families who are dependent for their livelihoods in the Gulf, that they are all made whole and that we are in a much better position to respond to any such crisis in the future."
Still, under the law as it stands today, BP will be paying for the clean-up, and the federal government -- thanks to the OPA -- ultimately has authority over how the clean-up proceeds
Ever since the spill became news, I've been reading various Obama flacks (in the case cited here, New Orleans native Donna Brazile of all people) lying about the OPA and claiming that it actually prevents the President from stepping in and exercising authority. One of this administration's most frustrating weaknesses is its seemingly constant search for technicalities by which it can excuse inaction. It's like one endless pursuit of a comfortable hiding place.
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