Gulf oil spill: BP granting $100 million to three gulf states, Gulfport mayor says

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Gulfport, Miss., Mayor George Schloegel announced Tuesday that British Petroleum vowed to give $100 million in grants to be evenly divided among the four gulf states.

Schloegel said he learned of the offer in a conference call with state and local officials. The money, he said, would be used to expedite emergency preparations for expected arrival of oil along the coast.

‘This is an enormous step forward from BP,” Schloegel said. “This will be a giant help to local governments along the coast, many of which are still feeling the financial impact of Katrina and the global recession.”

“Our budget is strapped right now; we don’t have the money to extend ourselves financially and then wait for reimbursement,” said Gulfport City Councilman R.Lee Flowers. “It means BP listened to us on Saturday when we asked them to provide upfront funding for preventive mitigation.”

-- Geoff Mohan