FLORIDA'S AG KEEPS CLOSE WATCH ON OIL SPILL
Wednesday, May 5, 2010

CORRECTION: We received a correction from the Florida Attorney General's office regarding a company that had been mentioned in connection with possible fraudulent activity. It had to do with the oil spill in the gulf and BP's clean-up efforts. AG Bill McCollum had referenced the company WRSCompass as being one that is offering to do hazmat clean-up for residents, but we have since heard from Joe Jacquot with the Attorney General's office confirms that while they had received reports on the company, they conducted a preliminary investigation and determined that WRSCompass is not conducting any fraudulent activity. Below is the complete written statement from WRSCompass:

WRScompass STATEMENT REGARDING RESPONDING TO THE GULF OIL SPILL

WRScompass is an environmental services company based in Tampa, Florida. It has been in business for over 25 years and has had contracts in the private sector, and with federal agencies, and state and local governments, throughout its history, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Department of Transportation. The work of WRScompass also includes emergency response services to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. WRScompass has always put the needs of the environment first.

Yesterday, statements were inaccurately made that WRScompass is representing itself as associated with British Petroleum or is attempting fraudulent work for Florida homeowners. These unfortunate statements were false. “WRScompass is a Florida-based company with a sterling reputation that has been attempting to help Florida get in front of responding to this disaster by hiring local people who have so much at risk from the spill,” stated WRScompass CEO Kathleen Shanahan.

WRScompass is working to be awarded contracts with other companies, local governments, the state, or federal government to help provide clean-up services in response to the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The award of such a contract could require WRScompass to provide a large number of local and qualified employees on short notice, if it is to be effective in protecting our environment. WRScompass is therefore proactively seeking out and providing training to potential future job applicants so that WRScompass can have qualified employees available for hire and be ready go help clean up the spill on a moment’s notice.