Louisiana AG Granted $5M Starter Fund for BP Litigation Expenses

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced that $5 million of the $25 million total block grant given to the state for oil clean up and response efforts will go to Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s office to support expenses incurred as a result of the BP oil spill.

The $25 million was fronted to the state of Louisiana “to support the functions of our first responders and others fighting to protect our coasts because the reimbursement process can be slow,” Jindal said in a statement announcing the block grant. “It’s important to note that this $25 million doesn’t even scratch the surface of our state’s total needs in responding to and recovering from this catastrophic oil spill.”

Attorney General Caldwell said without the funding “it would be virtually impossible to engage in the difficult task ahead of ensuring that BP lives up to its financial obligations and responsibilities to the State of Louisiana.”

Caldwell has estimated a $65 million price tag for litigation involving all responsible parties as a result of the oil spill, according to the Baton Rouge Daily Report.