Vermilion Parish will benefit from judge's ruling dealing with BP

WASHINGTON—United States District Court Judge Carl Barbier Thursday ruled that BP was “grossly negligent” in its actions leading to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
This ruling means that BP faces penalties of up to $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled, maximizing the money that will be returned to Southwest Louisiana parishes like Calcasieu, Cameron and Vermilion through the RESTORE Act authored by U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee.
Vermilion Parish could receive anywhere from $5 million to as high as $8.9 million.
Cameron Parish will receive anywhere from $3.5 million to $6.2 million.
Also expected to receive money is St. Mary Parish ($5.3 million) and Iberia Parish ($7.5 million).
Plaquemines Parish is expected to receive the most between $30 million to $53 million.
“Judge Barbier's decision today is an important step toward maximizing the fine that BP will pay for every barrel of oil it spilled. Thanks to the RESTORE Act that Senator Richard Shelby and I passed, 80 percent of that money will go back to Gulf Coast communities, like the ones in Southwest Louisiana, for coastal restoration,” Sen. Landrieu said. “For years, we had the will and the science to restore the Gulf Coast, but we didn’t have the money. The RESTORE Act gives us a jump start on our coastal restoration efforts in Calcasieu, Cameron and Vermillion parishes. I hope that BP will step up and take responsibility, rather than drag this case through the courts for years to come.”
The RESTORE Act, which Sen. Landrieu crafted with Senator Richard Shelby, R-Ala., will direct billions back to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast for environmental and economic restoration from the BP Oil Spill. Already, the law has netted $800 million from Transocean’s settlement that will soon be distributed to the five Gulf Coast states. BP will pay anywhere from an estimated $10 - $17.6 billion under the Clean Water Act once the civil trial concludes.

Southwest Louisiana’s three coastal parishes will receive anywhere from $16.6 million to $30.1 million from the settlement. Below is an estimate of the range of funding each of those parishes will receive, based on BP being fined $4,300 per barrel spilled from 2.45 billion barrels (BP’s estimate) to 4.1 billion barrels (U.S. Department of Justice’s estimate).