TAMPA (2010-10-26) -
BP is giving the state of Florida $20 million more in response to the Gulf oil spill six months ago. Ten million of that will aid in seafood testing, and $10 million will support tourism marketing efforts over the next three years.The new funds will not affect the current BP claims process for individuals and businesses in the state, according to Florida Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Liz Compton. And she says this agreement is not a cap on BP's payments to Florida.
"If we go three years and nothing's found, everything's fine, we've restored the public's confidence, the agreement comes to an end," says Compton. "If we start finding something in the seafood, it launches another three years with another $20 million."
Compton says an estimated 75 percent of consumers are eating Gulf seafood again, but only three percent are eating it as frequently as before.
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Mötley Crüe, brought to you by BP
FORTUNE -- It's hard to believe that hiring Mötley Crüe to headline a three-day concert in Mobile was the best use of $600,000 of the $65 million BP paid the state of Alabama for the gulf oil spill. But Lee Sentell, Alabama's director of tourism and travel, says it went "where it would have the biggest impact" -- which he felt was Mobile's nonprofit BayFest concert on Oct. 1-3.
It featured not just the Crüe but also Earth, Wind & Fire and Lady Antebellum, and offered, says BayFest director Bobby Bostwick, a good return on investment.
"We pay [4%] taxes on every ticket, every beer, every Pepsi," he says, generating at least $28 million to ease the tourism hit Mobile took this year. Then there was the psychic relief. Organizers charged just $15 a day, letting people bang their heads against something other than the threat of unemployment
Rock on.
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