BP asks for more time to respond to Pappas' suit

GALVESTON - BP has asked a federal court for more time to respond to a suit filed by Pappas Restaurants alleging the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is damaging Pappas' seafood business.

Lawyers representing the oil company request the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas give BP until July 17 to respond to Pappas' allegations.

Pappas filed the suit May 13 in Galveston County Court No. 2 with the litigation elevated to the federal level two weeks later.

BP has currently has a deadline of June 17, but claims it will not be able to do meet it because it "is occupied with investigating and attempting to mitigate the underlying basis of this suit, and faces numerous federal and state actions asserting individual and class claims in multiple jurisdictions throughout the Gulf Coast region stemming from this still-developing incident."

"Tendering answers... under the current deadline will be premature, will impose undue burdens on BP, and could result in unnecessary filings before this court," the four-page document says.

"BP seeks the extension in the interests of justice, and not for the purpose of unreasonable delay."

The company insists this is the first time it has filed for an extension and said extension "will not interfere with other deadlines."

U.S. District Court Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore is presiding over the case.

State Case No. 62,908
Federal Case No.4-10-cv-01912