Feinberg to visit Lafourche

Kenneth Feinberg, headman of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility and administrator of the $20 billion BP claims fund, informed Lafourche Parish Councilman Daniel Lorraine Saturday afternoon via e-mail that he will make himself available to Lafourche Parish citizens at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7, at the Mathews Government Complex, 4876 La. Highway 1, Mathews, L.

Lorraine compiled an agenda, and he will send it to the council clerk to finalize the details and forward it to Feinberg’s office.

It is tentatively scheduled to have the three committee members n Lorraine, Lindel Toups and Joe Fertitta n open the meeting by speaking and then Feinberg will be introduced and address the crowd before the floor is opened for a question-and-answer session.

“Who better else to hear it from than the people themselves that it affects,” Lorraine asked rhetorically. “I plan to get 500, 600, 700 people in that building. I’m going for 500 or better, and I want people from Jefferson, Terrebonne, Lafourche, wherever, and I promise you, Mr. Feinberg will never go through Lafourche without stopping again.”

Lorraine said he intends to ask Feinberg what kind of compensation will be afforded to the people who became sick during and after the clean-up process. He also said he will ask about the seemingly high number of application denials.

“A lot of people keep saying they’re sending in their paperwork and they’re getting denied,” the councilman said. “You’re starting to see signs all over n denial, denial, denial. I don’t know what the problem is. If they’re sending in the proper paperwork, I don’t know what’s getting denied.”

“I understand Mr. Feinberg has a tough job. I’m sure they’re going to get the bugs out and people have to be patient.”

Lorraine said he spoke to Feinberg after he held a town hall meeting in Grand Isle on Jan. 17 and asked why the claims administrator hadn’t planned on stopping in Lafourche. Feinberg responded with “Invite me, and I will come,” Lorraine said.

So Lorraine sent a registered letter to Feinberg’s Washington, D.C., Office Jan. 17 requesting the GCCF leader to attend the parish council’s BP Oil Spill Committee meeting on Feb. 7. Lorraine said he received an e-mail from Feinberg’s office Saturday afternoon confirming the time and date.