public health

This letter was originally sent to U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier by Dr. Michael Robichaux on November 26th, 2012. Dr. Robichaux is a physician in Raceland, Louisiana, who operated a detox clinic for people who became ill after exposure to BP's oil and dispersant. [...Read more]

Three BP oil disaster survivors and community advocates were forcibly removed from the fairness hearing on the BP class-action settlement yesterday, moments before the federal court heard objections to how that settlement would compensate people made sick by the disaster. The fairness hearing allowed U.S. [...Read more]

Watching the last two years unfold has been both eye opening and heartbreaking. Earlier this week, as I sat with a twenty-seven year old mother of three from Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, we went over the many health-related issues she and her family are dealing with. Her ten-year old daughter has severe stomach issues, breathing issues, skin issues, horrible headaches - there are very few days that come and go that she feels well. [...Read more]

March 30, 2012 - The Gulf Coast Regional Health Outreach Program will be funded through a $105 million grant awarded by BP, “to promote physical, mental and behavioral health of the Gulf region,” over a period of 5 years. [...Read more]

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March 25, 2012, This is an initial analysis, based on information provided by the Plaintiffs Steering Committee, regarding the health claims outlined in the BP settlement. The final details of the proposed settlement have not been hammered out as of yet – all the more reason we must approach these issues now. [...Read more]

Editors Note: In Friday's New York Times, business columnist Joe Nocera argues that the BP settlement is a lawyers' scheme to "gin up" new clients and squeeze more money out of BP.  He writes that "the vast majority of legitimate claims have already been paid by Feinberg" and that the new claims process established by the settlement will result in mostly "bogus" claims.  Nocera specifically ridicules the BP settlement for