Dudley to outline BP plans to help Gulf recover

By KEVIN McGILL Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is set to outline his company's long-term efforts to help the Gulf of Mexico recover from the oil spill and will be getting help from a Clinton administration-era emergency management official.

The oil giant says Dudley will be in Biloxi, Miss., Friday to announce that former Federal Emergency Management Agency head James Lee Witt will support its recovery efforts. Local officials, especially in Louisiana, have been clamoring for more long-term commitments in the face of reports that the oil spill is dissipating, at least on the water's surface.

The gusher set off by an oil-rig explosion spewed between 94 million gallons and 184 million gallons before a temporary cap stopped the flow July 15. A permanent fix is expected to be weeks away.