Oil Spill Impact: BP gulf oil spill lawyer discusses effect on SC businesses
While businesses in states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico are struggling, South Carolina business owners are also feeling the effects of the BP oil spill. Local restaurant owners, for example, rely heavily on gulf coast seafood for their seafood inventory, mainly their oyster supplies.
In an article with The State newspaper, Bret Yearout, owner of the Noisy Oyster restaurants in Charleston, said about 90 percent of the oysters he sells come from the Gulf Coast region. He said he's lost more than $40,000 since the spill as a result of higher oyster prices.
Mr. Yearout filed a claim with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which was denied with no specific reason given. According to the article, adjustors say one reason such South Carolina claims are being denied is because they are not considered to be "dependent enough" on Gulf Coast seafood.
BP gulf oil spill lawyer Kevin Dean says this rationale is unfair. "How would this be any different from a seafood restaurant or oyster bar in Panama City Beach (Fla.) that has been paid? They serve the same kind of stuff. Why should that make the Noisy Oyster any different when they are ordering oysters from the same location?"