Obama swims in Gulf, beaches open for business
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Relief wells
Obama's US public approval ratings have been dented by public discontent, especially in Gulf Coast communities, over his administration's response to the spill. The administration came under fire during the crisis for appearing to cede too much responsibility for management of the spill to BP.
Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the top government official overseeing the spill, said the company will get the go-ahead to finish the relief well but is doing a last batch of testing and planning first.
The testing is meant to make sure BP is prepared to deal with the risk of excessive pressure building up in the well during the final effort to kill it, Allen told a teleconference news briefing. The go-ahead could come by Tuesday, he said.
Obama had come under pressure to spend part of his summer vacation in the Gulf region to show solidarity with the thousands of people in the fishing and tourist industries whose livelihoods have been threatened by the spill.
While Florida escaped largely unscathed, other states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were hard hit and are the focus of BP's cleanup operations.
Leaking oil seeped into ecologically sensitive wetlands and marshes, soiled miles of beaches and forced the closure of rich fishing grounds.
Obama highlighted the cleanup efforts in his remarks.
"Now, as a result of the massive cleanup operation that has already taken place, a recent report by our top scientists found that the majority of oil has now evaporated or dispersed, or it's been burned, skimmed, or recovered from the wellhead," he said. "But I won't be satisfied until the environment has been restored, no matter how long it takes."
Obama said any delays by BP or officials in paying claims to individuals affected by the spill are "unacceptable."
Hotel owners, tour operators and other businesses have submitted thousands of damages claims to BP, claiming the spill has kept many tourists away during the lucrative summer season. BP has set up a $20 billion fund to handle the claims.
Local tourism officials have been trying to counter the perception that Florida's beaches were sullied by the oil that blackened other parts of the Gulf coastline.
Florida's nearly 1,200-mile shoreline is a major attraction in the Sunshine State's $60 billion-a-year tourism industry, and Panama City boasts it is the most popular spring break destination for college students in the United States.
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