Following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, a $20 billion fund was established to compensate Gulf Coast businesses and residents for damage and loss of business due to the spill. The process for evaluating and paying claims has been criticized for its lack of transparency.Now, Gulf Coast Claims Facility Administrator Kenneth Feinberg, after consulting with Florida’s governor and attorney general, has agreed to make changes in the way claims are processed in Florida. Many of the new procedures in Florida will improve transparency and should lead to a more fair and efficient process.
Among the changes Feinberg will institute at GCCF are:
- Committing to processing at least 25 percent of pending claims by March 31, 2011.
- Expanding staffing in Florida to provide more localized support and more efficient reporting throughout the state and in Washington.
- Assist claimants in finding independent accounting firms to review claims, and reimburse claimants for the expense of hiring an accountant.
