McCollum Warns of Scams in Wake of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The oil slick threatening Gulf Coast states is growing ever larger and the state Attorney General's office and Department of Environmental Protection have been working to contain and respond to the disaster, said Attorney General Bill McCollum and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole Monday morning.

Leaks from the Gulf of Mexico underwater well where the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon oil rig caught fire and exploded have been unleashing an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April 22. About 79,000 feet of protective boom has been installed in Gulf waters off Pensacola to contain the spill in Florida. The spill, while not as much of a threat to Florida as it is to Louisiana, could still pose a threat to North Florida beaches and oyster beds.

On Sunday, McCollum, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful, met with the attorneys general from Alabama, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and agreed to hold BP responsible for all legitimate government expenses associated with the spill.

"They say they're going to produce, and we believe they are," McCollum said of BP.

The attorneys general are still weighing the states' legal options. McCollum said that given the scope of the disaster the fuel giant is likely to face some legal challenges.

"Certainly at some point in the future there will be some sort of litigation because there are going to be damages," McCollum said.

In the meantime, Florida residents should beware of beach and property clean-up scams and not sign hold harmless waivers for anyone, including BP, McCollum said. Floridians can get updates on the state response to the spill here and also by calling a DEP Hotline at 800-342-3557.