11 East Coast attorneys general ask BP for assurances it would pay claims from their states

AGs seek assurances BP would pay East Coast claims

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Attorneys general in 11 Atlantic Coast states asked BP PLC for assurances that legitimate claims from their residents will be paid if oil from the massive Gulf of Mexico spill reaches their shores.

The prosecutors also said in a letter sent Monday that they want BP to preserve all documents related to the spill and response. The documents could be needed if any of the states were to sue.

The states acknowledge that the chance of oil reaching their shores is small. Similar letters were sent to Halliburton, Transocean Ltd. and Cameron Inc., which were either involved in the blown well or supplied equipment for it.

Prosecutors from Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Rhode Island signed the letter.