PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Florida counties are deciding how to spend their share of a massive financial settlement with BP over the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill.
Florida has 23 counties eligible for a portion of the more than $20 billion settlement with the oil giant. The counties stretch from Escambia on the western edge of the Panhandle to Monroe County on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, all victims of the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.
The counties' ideas for spending their oil spill windfalls vary widely. From preserving bird habitat in the Everglades to boat ramps and waterfront parks in the Panhandle, county leaders are making plans for the money. According to settlement terms, the counties will receive the money in annual payments for the next 17 years.
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