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"We're interested in total peace," says Ken Feinberg, the administrator of the $20 billion Gulf Coast Escrow Fund that is being set up to provide a fast, fair claims processing facility for most oil spill victims. "We're not interested in any halfway measures," Feinberg adds.

What he means is that the fund he'll be administering won't be dispensing any relief for losses already incurred unless the victim also consents to accept an estimate of his future damages, too, and then releases BP from future claims. "My goal is to settle then and there," Feinberg says. "Why bother coming back? Let's resolve it right now."

"We're interested in total peace," says Ken Feinberg, the administrator of the $20 billion Gulf Coast Escrow Fund that is being set up to provide a fast, fair claims processing facility for most oil spill victims. "We're not interested in any halfway measures," Feinberg adds.

What he means is that the fund he'll be administering won't be dispensing any relief for losses already incurred unless the victim also consents to accept an estimate of his future damages, too, and then releases BP from future claims. "My goal is to settle then and there," Feinberg says. "Why bother coming back? Let's resolve it right now."

The OPA fund only pays for past losses, however, according to Feinberg, so the claimant would have to keep coming back if his losses continued. The OPA trust, moreover, is only $1 billion, so it is obviously inadequate to fully recompense claimants for a spill of this size. In contrast, Feinberg's $20 billion escrow fund will be replenished as often as necessary, according to both the White House and BP.

If a claimant is still unsatisfied after trying the OPA trust fund, he can sue, but, of course, litigation is expensive, can take many years, and carries its own risks, including the danger that the responsible party might be bankrupt by the time the claimant finally wins a judgment. (Claimants can also sue first, before trying their OPA remedies, but then they can't seek their OPA remedies until their litigation is concluded.)

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Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
signing off