[StBernard] BP Destroys Release Waivers After Fishermen Protest

[Westley Annis]

BP Destroys Release Waivers After Fishermen Protest
BP: No Knowledge On Presentation Of Release
WDSU.com
updated 9:45 p.m. CT, Tues., May 4, 2010
VENICE, La. - WDSU .com


BP issued a response Monday after fishermen voiced their concerns about a
release form that would bar them from taking any legal action if they were
harmed while helping clean up the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP said it had no knowledge of the presentation of a voluntary waiver and
release to the people from Plaquemines Parish. The oil giant did say it
would rip up and destroy the waivers and that no one would be asked to sign
a release of liability as a condition of working for BP.

As conditions surrounding the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico get worse,
local commercial shrimpers, fisherman and others gathered to help minimize
the damage.

On Saturday, the workers gathered at a school auditorium in Venice to sign
up to help BP in its cleanup efforts. In exchange for their services, the
fishermen would get paid, but were asked to sign a voluntary waiver and
release that would not allow them to sue BP if they got injured while
helping contain and clean up the massive oil spill.

An attorney representing many of the fishermen in Plaquemines Parish voiced
the concerns of fishermen not being allowed to sue, essentially anyone, if
they were injured while helping contain the oil spill in which British
Petroleum is being held responsible.

"Suppose they send all of these workers out on a vessel.and it capsizes and
causes severe injuries or even deaths. Under this release, they're saying
you can't sue BP, you can't sue BP's contractors, you can't sue anybody,"
said attorney Jim Klick.

On Sunday, Klick said he sent BP a letter requesting that the signed waivers
either be returned or destroyed, stating that the release was "entirely
inappropriate" and misleading.

It's unclear how many of the waivers were signed on Saturday.