Crisis point man tells BP to say more about claims

WASHINGTON (AP) - Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen has written to BP demanding more specific information on how the company is handling damage claims stemming from the Gulf oil spill.

Allen tells BP CEO Tony Hayward in a letter dated Tuesday that his office and state offices in the stricken area "have made several requests for additional information which we have not received."

Allen, President Barack Obama's national incident commander, said earlier he doubted that BP could efficiently handle petitions for relief by individuals and businesses. He said his impression was that the company was struggling because of little experience in this area. He told Hayward the the information is needed so the government can "meet our responsibilities to our citizens."