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BP's Gulf Cleanup Creates 'Spillionaires'

Many in Gulf Coast got rich in unsupervised spending frenzy: Pro Publica

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 13, 2011 6:42 PM CDT

(Newser) – A Pro Publica investigation introduces a new word in the Gulf Coast lexicon: spillionaire. As in, the nickname given to someone—usually someone politically connected—who raked in a lot of money from BP's unregulated $16 billion cleanup fund for localities. It puts a particular focus on St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans—along with its vocal president, Craig Taffaro—with tidbits like these:

  • A subcontractor there charged BP $15,400 a month to rent a generator, about 10 times higher than usual.
  • A company partly owned by the sheriff charged BP more than $1 million a month for land that had been renting closer to the $1,700-a-month range.

  • One fisherman earned $210,000 in the 8 months after the spill—more than three times his entire 2009 salary—because of emergency claims to BP and cleanup work.
"This parish raped BP," says the chairman of the St. Bernard Parish Council. "At the end of the day, it really just frustrates me. I'm an elected official. I have guilt by association." Click to read the lengthy investigation, done in conjunction with the Washington Post.

St. Bernard Parish president Craig Taffaro, left, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal are seen through a hole in a spreader used to build a man-made sand berm near the Chandeleur Islands.
St. Bernard Parish president Craig Taffaro, left, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal are seen through a hole in a spreader used to build a man-made sand berm near the Chandeleur Islands.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
This April 21, 2010, file photo shows the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burning in the Gulf.
This April 21, 2010, file photo shows the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burning in the Gulf.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal walks with St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro and others on the northern end of the Chandeleur Islands last July.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal walks with St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro and others on the northern end of the Chandeleur Islands last July.   (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
saucier111
Apr 14, 2011 10:50 AM CDT
This is not the first time that BP,Transocean,Haliburton have destroyed mother nature.In june of 2008 off Azerbaijan in the Caspian sea they had a identical spill except no buddy died.Oil companies do not care at all about the environment or mother nature,just look at what they have already done to the world,all they care about is the almighty buck.And they do not seem to learn from pass mistakes,like their above the law.
realtruth
Apr 14, 2011 10:08 AM CDT
It not like we didn’t Beg for the government and people to screw BP... I don’t blame any of them who prospered.... I blame all the people who drove this out of proportion and into a National crises.
t0ak
Apr 14, 2011 1:07 AM CDT
The oil spill was in my backyard - took me 3 months to get a job w/ clean-up - thru an out of state company - made a shitload of money doing nothing for 3 months - because BP ran the show - you were fired if you didnt follow their strict rules of working 20 minutes resting 40 - I saw stories that dwarf everything in this article - it was the wild west of companies fighting over cleanup contracts riding around in gangs of boats - they should do a story on the coast guard boat BP bought - the coast guard WORKED FOR BP - after 3 months of seeing no oil it started coming up everywhere and a few days later they shut down all operations oct 1. Oil is still coming up in barataria bay - its all politics - once anderson cooper left it was over for the rest of the country - we from southern Louisiana or fucked for decades

 
Louisiana • British Petroleum • Gulf oil spill • oil spill cleanup • St. Bernard Parish

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