BP says Wednesday is claims deadline

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - BP says Wednesday is the last day the company will accept new claims. BP says it is in the final stage of transferring "responsibility for individual and business claims related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) on August 23."

"Our portion of it is transitioning over the Mr. Feinberg," said BP spokesperson Daren Beaudo.

Ken Feinberg will head up the process beginning August 23.

Between now and then Beaudo said BP will take what it calls emergency claims.

"In that interim we still have the ability to manage emergency claims. We put in within the past month a system for exceleraing emergency claims. We still have that ability," Beaudo said.

According to a news release from BP Wednesday, the BP Claims Team will continue to handle existing claimants only. The company will also handle claims from government entities.

By transferring the claims process, the goal is to simplify it, and speed it up. As for those of you have already been denied a claim, Governor Riley says you should file again when Feinberg takes over on Monday.

BP says it has paid out more than $368 million in claims related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.