英国石油一次性支付3.5亿美元了结路易斯安那州沿海诉讼
路易斯安那州东巴吞鲁日堂区巴吞鲁日市消息，路易斯安那州已同意接受英国石油公司一次性支付的3.5亿美元，以了结深水地平线灾难和解协议中剩余的款项，并结束各堂区针对该公司提起的沿海损害诉讼。这一安排是英国石油公司上周五发布的新闻稿中宣布的，路易斯安那州媒体10月26日对此作了报道。
2010年深水地平线钻井平台爆炸造成11名工人死亡，约1.68亿加仑原油泄漏，污染了墨西哥湾沿岸大片地区。此后达成的和解协议共向路易斯安那州拨付超过60亿美元，目前除3.73亿美元外均已支付，原定在未来七年内分期付清。如今州政府选择一次性收取3.5亿美元，换取提前拿到资金并了结全部剩余诉讼。
州长杰夫·兰德里在新闻稿中表示，路易斯安那州已经处理了过去被认为无法解决的历史遗留诉讼，与除一家主要被告之外的所有公司达成和解。英国石油发言人表示，协议条款保密，但协议解决了各堂区与州政府针对英国石油提出的全部沿海诉讼与类似索赔。拉福什堂区主席表示，提前拿到这笔资金对该州正在推进的大型沿海工程是一大利好。
BP to pay $350 million lump sum to settle Louisiana coastal lawsuits
Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana — Louisiana has agreed to accept a one-time $350 million payment from BP to settle the remaining amounts under the Deepwater Horizon disaster settlement agreement and end the parishes' coastal-damage lawsuits against the company. The arrangement was announced in a BP news release last Friday and reported by Louisiana media on Oct. 26.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion killed 11 workers and spilled about 168 million gallons of crude oil, polluting large areas of the Gulf Coast. The resulting settlement directed more than $6 billion to Louisiana; all but $373 million has been paid, which was originally to be paid in installments over the next seven years. The state has now chosen to take $350 million at once, in exchange for receiving the funds early and settling all remaining litigation.
Gov. Jeff Landry said in the release that Louisiana has resolved legacy litigation once considered unsolvable and reached settlements with all but one major defendant. A BP spokesperson said the terms are confidential but that the agreement resolves all coastal lawsuits and similar claims brought by the parishes and the state against BP. The president of Lafourche Parish said receiving the funds early is a major benefit for the large coastal projects the state is advancing.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：路易斯安那州议会大厦，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons
