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AFP: U.S. wants updated plan from BP

Agence France-Presse June 9, 2010 10:00 PM

The U.S. tightened pressure Wednesday on BP, setting a 72-hour deadline for the battered British energy titan to update plans for battling the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is leading the government response, met with BP officials in Washington and ordered them to produce records of compensation claims filed in four stricken southern states.

"BP, as a responsible party, is accountable for making the communities, individuals and business impacted by this spill whole again," said Allen. "We need more detail and openness from BP to fulfil our oversight responsibilities to the American people and ensure that BP is meeting its commitment to restore the Gulf coast."

The stringent demands for greater transparency betrayed the growing mistrust between BP and President Barack Obama's administration more than seven weeks into the nation's worst environmental catastrophe.

Before meeting with BP, Allen sent a letter to BP CEO Tony Hayward, asking him to explain how compensation packages to devastated local industries were being calculated and why they were taking so long to process.

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