Crying Here, Really; Angry BP Shareholders Demand Tougher Defense Against "Extortionate" Claims

[hatrack]

Angry British shareholders of oil giant BP urged the company Thursday to be more forceful in its legal fight against tens of billions of dollars in claims still being asserted by the U.S. government and several Gulf states affected by the 2010 oil spill. One suggested BP boycott Walt Disney World in Florida to get Americans “to come to their senses.”

BP executives seemed to endorse the concerns, though they were careful not to wade too much into the debate, nor specify any actions they may take, because of the ongoing civil trial in federal court in New Orleans over the disaster.

“I can only assure you this board is being robust and we have been clear all the way, both during negotiations and publicly, we are willing to settle on reasonable terms, and if we don’t, we continue to fight this in the legal system,” BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said at the company’s annual meeting in London. He told the shareholders “your worries are on everybody’s mind.”

One shareholder described the claims as “extortionate,” and said BP needs to do more to help the company move beyond the uncertainties still hanging over it. Another shareholder claimed there is no more evidence of pollution in the Gulf nearly three years after the disaster, and he alleged the crisis was “vastly blown up” by the U.S. media. Another shareholder suggested the amount of money BP has already paid out exceeds the actual damage caused by the spill.

EDIT

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/04/11/bp-shareholders-question-extortionate-gulf-oil-spill-claims/

[Buzz Clik]

1. I don't suppose demanding more safety, more attention to existing protocols is on their radar.

Typical.