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BP CEO: Time to Scale Down Gulf Clean-Up

   VOA News 30 July 2010
   James  Lee  Witt  (R)  and  BP  PLC  CEO  of  Gulf  Coast  Restoration
   Organization Bob Dudley at a news conference to announce Witt's hiring
   as  advisor  to  BP's  Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in Biloxi,
   Miss., 30 Jul 2010

Photo: AP

   James  Lee  Witt  (R)  and  BP  PLC  CEO  of  Gulf  Coast  Restoration
   Organization Bob Dudley at a news conference to announce Witt's hiring
   as  advisor  to  BP's  Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in Biloxi,
   Miss., 30 Jul 2010

   BP's  incoming  CEO  says  it  could  be  time  to scale down the vast
   operation  to  clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but stressed his
   company's commitment to fully restoring the environment. Â
   Bob  Dudley  outlined BP's continuing efforts for the region Friday in
   Biloxi, Mississippi.
   He  said  the  company  will  establish a $100-million fund to support
   drilling  rig workers in the Gulf of Mexico who are unemployed because
   of the oil giant's massive spill. Â
   Dudley  was  joined  by  James  Lee  Witt,  a former Federal Emergency
   Management  Agency  head  who  has  been  appointed  by BP to help the
   company in its recovery efforts.
   Local  officials  and residents are seeking long-term commitments from
   BP.
   The  U.S.  House  of  Representatives  votes  late Friday on two bills
   responding  to  the oil spill.  The Senate is not expected to take up
   its version of the bill until September. Â
   Retired  Coast  Guard  Admiral  Thad Allen, the government's oil-spill
   response  chief, spoke Thursday with the governor of the Gulf state of
   Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, and local officials who are concerned BP will
   prematurely withdraw its response to the spill.
   Also Thursday, a panel of judges met in the northwestern U.S. state of
   Idaho  to examine more than 200 complaints submitted against BP.  The
   Judicial  Panel  on Multidistrict Litigation is considering whether to
   consolidate  lawsuits against BP and where cases against the oil giant
   will be heard.
   A decision is expected within several weeks.

   Â

   Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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