Coast Guard: BP steps up efforts to contain oil

Company responds to USCG letter demanding a sped-up plan by tripling amount it plans to capture

Published June 14, 2010 5:30PM (EDT)

The Coast Guard says BP has increased its efforts to contain the oil gushing from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rear Adm. James Watson, who is the federal on-scene coordinator, said in a statement Monday that the government will continue to hold BP accountable but the oil giant is now stepped up its efforts.

The Coast Guard had sent BP a letter demanding that the company speed up its oil containment plan and set a deadline of Sunday for BP to respond.

In its response, BP said it would target containing more than 2 million gallons of oil a day by the end of June. That is up from about 630,000 gallons of crude a day now. It's new plan could capture much of the oil that government scientists believe is leaking from the well in a worst-case scenario.


By Associated Press

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