Mayor A.J. Holloway said the Gulf Coast’s three-month-long roller-coaster ride may have ended with BP’s announcement that the oil leak has been plugged, but he noted that residents still face an uncertain future.
“This is great news. We’re certainly pleased with this announcement, but let’s remember a few things,” Holloway said. “First, there’s still oil out there in the Gulf. After all, it took two months after the spill to reach us. And, second, the long-term effects of this spill are yet to be determined.”
Holloway said it was ironic and good timing that Kenneth R. Feinberg, the government-appointed claims administrator for those seeking financial relief from BP, will be in Biloxi Friday to discuss the claims process.
The town hall meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center, is open to anyone who may have a legitimate claim for individual or business financial loss as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
At the close of the town hall session, audience members will be invited to breakout rooms where they can begin the process of filing a claim, inquire about or take the next steps in filing existing claims, and/or ask general questions of claims adjusters. The breakout sessions are expected to run from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Said Holloway: “I encourage everyone with a claim to attend these sessions. We pray that we are entering the next phase, the final phase of this catastrophe — the recovery.”
