A federal judge says she will decide next month whether to accept a plea deal that calls for BP PLC to pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties for its role in a deadly 2010 rig explosion and the massive oil spill it triggered in the Gulf of Mexico.
The council plans to work with states and towns to identify projects and programs that will restore natural resources, help businesses, and create jobs following the BP oil spill.
Authorities are continuing to interview Houston County officials as part of a grand jury investigation, but they haven't disclosed the nature of the probe.