Scalise statement on Justice Department suit of BP

Washington, DC -- Congressman Steve Scalise today released the following statement after the Justice Department filed a civil suit against BP PLC and eight other companies for damages associated with the Gulf oil spill. The suit could result in billions of dollars in damages.

“I am encouraged that the Justice Department has finally brought this suit forward, and I urge all the parties involved to move quickly to resolve this case so we can move forward with our recovery from this disaster,” Scalise said. “BP must continue to be held fully accountable for this disaster, which impacted hundreds of miles of Louisiana coastline and wreaked havoc on our economy, and I look forward to a swift resolution of this court case to determine and set aside appropriate fines. The importance of restoring our coast cannot be overstated and it is imperative that we work together without delay to pass legislation like the Gulf Coast Restoration Act, which dedicates the lion’s share of BP fines assessed under the Clean Water Act to Gulf States so we can clean up the damage and restore our coast.”

In August, Scalise introduced H.R. 6112 a bill which would require at least 80 percent of the fines assessed to BP under the Clean Water Act be directed to a separate fund for distribution to Gulf States affected by the disaster for coastal restoration and other mitigation projects.

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Contact: Stephen Bell
202-226-9113