MONTGOMERY, AL (AP) — The owner of the drilling rig involved in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill is paying Alabama $20 million to resolve legal claims related to the disaster.
Gov. Robert Bentley's office announced the settlement Thursday with Transocean, owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig.
The governor says Alabama suffered tremendous economic losses from the disaster, which dumped nearly 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
Bentley has said he wants to steer at least part of the Transocean money to the state's Medicaid program.
The Department of Justice and Gulf states earlier this year reached a $20 billion settlement with BP PLC, which leased the rig from Transocean, to settle remaining claims related to environmental and economic damages from the spill.
