President Barack Obama won Wednesday the leaders of BP, called at the White House, to accept $ 20 billion aside to compensate victims of oil spill continues to spread off the U.S. coast.
"I am pleased to announce that BP has agreed to put $ 20 billion aside to meet claims for compensation as a result of this pollution," Obama said after a visit more than four hours for officials of the oil company British headquarters of the Presidency.
"These 20 billion dollars will allow the compensation claims of residents and businesses are being honored. And this is not a ceiling. The people of the Gulf (of Mexico) have my word.Several companies are involved, including BP, and it is simply too early to identify the cause, "he adds.
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An announcement of the $ 20 billion is "probably the best news since it all started. This gives us some security for the future," responded to AFP by a fisherman in Venice, Louisiana ( south), whose business is closed for a month because of the leak.
The exclusion zone for fishing in the Gulf of Mexico has been slightly extended on Wednesday and now a little over a third of U.S. federal waters of the Gulf, announced the Federal Maritime Agency NOAA.
BP has already said he would pay any claims "legitimate" for compensation. In this regard, Mr.Hayward said that BP had already spent more than $ 90 million to date in response to 56,000 complaints, mostly from individuals, and that the company planned this week to pay $ 16 million to businesses affected by the disaster.
On Tuesday, the authorities have again revised upwards the extent of pollution, considering that up to 60,000 barrels of crude daily flowed into the ocean, 50% more than the previous estimate of "high". BP hopes to pump in nearly 90% at source.
But between 300 and 500 million liters of oil have already leaked from the wells located more than 1,500 meters deep.
Wanting to overcome a political crisis that hangs over his presidency, Mr.Obama on Tuesday called for the innovation of Americans to plunge the country into "clean" energy.
He also invited Democrats and Republicans to come and talk with him next Wednesday to a bill on energy and climate, stalled in the upper house of Congress.
But the Republicans seem determined not to make concessions to their opponents to five months of crucial legislative elections.