BP: Kick Us Out of the Gulf and We Won't Pay Up

BP has issued a veiled threat, warning Congress that if it bans BP from operating in the Gulf, it might not be able to pay for all the damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon spill, or participate in the ambitious coast cleanup project. Though the company promises to honor its commitment to set aside $20 billion for a cleanup fund, it has signaled that it won’t offer other funds or help unless it can continue its Gulf operations, the New York Times reports.

“We are just expressing frustration that our commitments of good will have, at least in some quarters, been met with this kind of response,” said a BP spokesman. The House has passed a bill that would ban any company from operating in the Gulf if they’ve had at least 11 workers die on the job—which, coincidentally enough, is exactly how many workers died in the Deepwater Horizon explosion. BP also just happens to be the only company the provision would hit. (More British Petroleum stories.)