About 10,000 people and businesses harmed by the 2021 oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach – a group that includes local fishermen, tourism companies and some homeowners – will split an additional $45 million in damages, bringing their total to $95 million according to a proposed legal settlement announced Thursday, Feb. 9.
The new deal involves nine companies that own or insure two cargo ships, the MV Beijing and the MSC Danit, that dragged anchors over the underwater pipeline during a storm about 10 months prior to the spill. Last October, lawyers announced a separate settlement in which Amplify Energy, owner of the pipeline, agreed to pay $50 million to people who lost money because of the spill.
The agreement with the shipping companies marks the first time any entity other than Amplify has shared financial responsibility for the 25,000-gallon spill. Last year, Amplify pleaded guilty to a criminal charge related to its response to the spill and agreed to pay for cleanup and damages.
Wylie Aitken, a Santa Ana attorney representing locals harmed by the spill, said that while Amplify and the shipping companies are likely to continue a separate court battle over how much responsibility each bears for the spill, the people and businesses that lost money can enter a different phase of the fight.
“This is no longer an issue for our citizens. They’ll be receiving their compensation, and hopefully exiting this process as soon as possible,” Aitken said.
The next step will be for the court to give final approval to the new agreement, something that could happen by spring. After that, an independent company will be hired to identify everybody who qualifies for compensation and to establish a schedule for payouts. People who believe they are owed money can file a claim via the website ocoilspillsettlement.com by June 9.
Aitken didn’t know how long the payout process might take. He did say any money that goes unclaimed will be allocated to an as-yet…
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