Abbott: 'Tremendous economic disaster'

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The coastal crisis continues as the oozing oil spreads across the Gulf of Mexico.

By some estimates, as much as 25,000 barrels of oil per day could now be leaking in the sea. Monday morning, officials enforced a new fishing ban.

As oil continues to move across the Gulf, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott called it a "tremendous economic disaster" and addressed concerns along the Texas coast Monday at a press conference, taking two major things into consideration:

• Call upon the federal government to ensure all proper designations under various legal statutes are implemented
• Evaluate all potential parties who are potentially responsible and hold them potentially liable

Abbott said the ways states are impacted will be different, though the Texas coast looks like it could be spared at this point.

Abbott traveled to Mobile, Ala. to meet with attorney generals from Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, where they talked about a coordinated response.

"The attorneys general are working together to ensure that the environment is protected," said Abbott. "That coastal businesses are appropriately compensated."

Still, Abbott said the oil spill is getting worse by the day. And while BP is trying to stop it, it could takes weeks and even months to plug the hole.

"As of this time, we're seeing BP take all the right actions and make all the right comments," he said. "Part of what we'll be focusing on is to be sure BP's actions live up to their words."

Abbott said the state will take a wait-and-see approach regarding any possible legal repercussions against BP, saying he wants to follow all the facts and conduct all of the analysis first. He said they will wait to see if the Texas coast, businesses and taxpayers will be exposed.

"If the state of Texas is not damaged, and if taxpayers in the state are not impacted, then we would have to carefully evaluate whether or not for Texas to be involved in any lawsuit," said Abbott. "We need to keep a vigilant eye on potential damages."

Meanwhile, a bright spot for Texas coast is that the currents and winds are taking the oil spill away. Yet, it's no guarantee the Texas coast will be completely spared.

"All of the forecasts show that there is no immediate threat to the Texas coastline, but it is impossible to say conclusively that the Texas coast will be spared," said Abbott. "Even if the oil continues on its current trajectory, over time, there could be oil balls coming up along the Texas coastline."

With minimal impact to the state of Texas, Abbott said there have been very minimal resources contributed by the Texas Land Office and the Attorney General's Office - including out-of-pocket costs, such as work and time spent with other attorneys general, time and resources.

And while Texas seems to be in the clear, at least for the moment, Abbott said the decrease of flow in oil and gas coming from the Gulf could mean a very mild increase in prices.

As for seafood, local seafood markets are watching their prices closely, hoping not to raise prices.

"We're going to do our very best to maintain everything until the market warrants that we have to do that," said Carol Huntsberger, owner of Quality Seafood on Airport Boulevard in North Austin.

"Right now everything that's close to the Texas Coast is still good," Huntsberger said.

Still, the Texas attorney general said one of the issues still at hand for evaluation is making sure spills like this cannot happen in the future.

"There are protective devices that are in place, even on this rig, that were not activated," said Abbott.

He said they're looking into why the devices weren't activated and what needs to be done in the future to make sure they are activated and to make sure spills like this don't happen.

Abbott said all these things are being taken into consideration, all while they ensure that this industry in the Gulf that produces oil and gas is able to continue to operate effectively but also safely for the environment.

"We'll have to see what new, potential regulations arise because of this," said Abbott.