How does BP plan to make the Gulf Coast "whole," as it's reiterated throughout the course of the oil spill crisis, if the oil giant can't even pay its own rent?
The owner of the property that houses BP's St. Bernard Parish Oil Spill Command Center has issued an eviction notice because BP owes more than $3 million for rent, plus owner-fronted expenses such as security, fuel, cranes and physical plant upgrades.
"This afternoon, we received a 10 day notice to vacate from the landowner in Hopedale," St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro said in a statement. "This was predicated on a lack of payment for several services. ... While I don't have an exact figure, I can tell you that it is several million dollars that the landowner is out and has had to front."
Taffro noted that the job of cleaning up the Louisiana coast is "far from finished," and announced that "we're calling on BP to step forward and make these things right. We continue to hear commercial after commercial that says BP is here until everything is cleaned up. BP is here to make this right. Well this is an opportunity to make this right." Taffaro said that BP is also delinquent in making payments in excess of $34 million to other local marinas and contractors.
BP spokesman Tom Mueller told the Times Picayune's Chris Kirkham that the oil giant has yet to pay many invoices because they lack the detailed billing information BP has requested.
This isn't the first time that area businesses have complained about BP's handling of accounts. Just last month, a number of small-business owners that the company had contracted to mass-produce containment boom and other spill cleanup equipment told NBC that BP had stiffed them for millions in outstanding bills. And BP's controversial handling of compensation claims, with out-of-work Louisiana fishermen awaiting timely payment for their losses, has been well documented here and in other places.
Meanwhile, BP is moving forward with plans to scale back the Gulf cleanup effort. Perhaps not paying the rent is just a means to an end?
From Yahoo
On September 2, 2010, In Defend the Coast, By admin
How does BP plan to make the Gulf Coast "whole," as it's reiterated throughout the course of the oil spill crisis, if the oil giant can't even pay its own rent?
The owner of the property that houses BP's St. Bernard Parish Oil Spill Command Center has issued an eviction notice because BP owes more than $3 million for rent, plus owner-fronted expenses such as security, fuel, cranes and physical plant upgrades.
"This afternoon, we received a 10 day notice to vacate from the landowner in Hopedale," St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro said in a statement. "This was predicated on a lack of payment for several services. ... While I don't have an exact figure, I can tell you that it is several million dollars that the landowner is out and has had to front."
Taffro noted that the job of cleaning up the Louisiana coast is "far from finished," and announced that "we're calling on BP to step forward and make these things right. We continue to hear commercial after commercial that says BP is here until everything is cleaned up. BP is here to make this right. Well this is an opportunity to make this right." Taffaro said that BP is also delinquent in making payments in excess of $34 million to other local marinas and contractors.
BP spokesman Tom Mueller told the Times Picayune's Chris Kirkham that the oil giant has yet to pay many invoices because they lack the detailed billing information BP has requested.
This isn't the first time that area businesses have complained about BP's handling of accounts. Just last month, a number of small-business owners that the company had contracted to mass-produce containment boom and other spill cleanup equipment told NBC that BP had stiffed them for millions in outstanding bills. And BP's controversial handling of compensation claims, with out-of-work Louisiana fishermen awaiting timely payment for their losses, has been well documented here and in other places.
Meanwhile, BP is moving forward with plans to scale back the Gulf cleanup effort. Perhaps not paying the rent is just a means to an end?
From Yahoo