Boyd Brings Local Officials and BP Represenatives Together for Face-to-Face Meetings

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) today brought Dixie County officials together with representatives from BP to have frank discussions about the county's ongoing needs and challenges and how BP can better support local prevention and containment efforts. Earlier in the week, Congressman Boyd brought BP represenatives together with local officials from Taylor and Wakulla County.

During the meetings local officials expressed their discontentment with the pace and manner with which BP is responding to the needs of the community, such as delays in processing claims and hiring locals to assist in the ongoing clean-up efforts.

Congressman Boyd expressed similar frustrations and remarked, "Without question, BP and the Administration's response efforts have been far too slow. Our local officials and residents have a vested interest in doing everything possible to protect their land and their livelihoods from the threat posed by BP's oil, and I believe that if BP shared this same urgency, their response efforts to date would be far different than what we've witnessed."

Following the meetings, Congressman Boyd added, "BP needs to be a more active partner in developing solutions and assisting our counties. Thanks to the efforts of the local officials that attended today's meetings, the discussions revealed several ways BP can do just that. Moving forward, I will continue working to hold BP accountable for the commitments they made to our community today."

These meetings build on Congressman Boyd's commitment to protect North Florida from the effects of the BP oil spill and ensure that local communities are receiving economic relief as quickly as possible.

Last week, Congressman Boyd introduced two pieces of legislation that will help speed economic relief to the countless residents, property owners, small businesses and taxpayers that have been economically impacted as a result of the BP oil crisis. The first bill would remove the tax liability from BP claim checks, ensuring that victims of the BP oil spill receive the full amount of damages without having to set aside an amount for their next tax return. The second bill would provide tax relief and tax incentives to those seeking economic development opportunities in select North Florida areas.

Last month, Congressman Boyd brought together representatives from federal and state emergency response agencies and key local stakeholders to discuss the effect a hurricane would have on the oil currently in the Gulf of Mexico and the impact it would have on North Florida's communities. The conference identified actions that need to be incorporated into current hurricane response plans in order to efficiently and effectively protect our communities and people from the threat posed by having oil propelled inland. Congressman Boyd plans to follow up with the appropriate agencies responsible for implementing these action items and deliver the recommendations and findings from the conference to the President.

He also sent a letter to the President calling for the establishment of a Gulf seafood safety task force to counter the growing public perception that seafood harvested in Gulf waters is not safe to eat.

In May, Congressman Boyd sponsored legislation that would hold oil companies fully accountable for the economic damage caused by oil spills. Oil companies are already responsible for the full cost of environmental clean-up efforts. Boyd's legislation would raise the current cap from $75 million to $10 billion, ensuring that oil companies -- and not the taxpayers -- bear the cost for all economic damages resulting from oil spills.

More information on the BP oil spill crisis and a full account of Congressman Boyd's efforts to protect North Florida can be found at www.boyd.house.gov/oilspill.

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