professor hester, in general are there any real limits on bp's liability for this oil spill? >> well, there are limits for one particular sub set of claims to be brought against bp, which would be $75 million for claims brought for damages under the oil pollution act. that cap does not apply, however, for direct removal costs, getting the oil actually out of the water. that is unlimited under the oil pollution act. that cap doesn't apply to state law tort law suit or civil or criminal peenlts that the united states or state governments might want to pursue. >> lehrer: the answer is yes, there's no real limit. even under the $75 million cap there are ways to even raise that, are there not, depending on allegations? the president was saying there was corner-cuting on safety and things like that? >> well, if there's a cap it's a pretty leaky one. the $75 million cap only applies if there is a situation where there hasn't been gross negligence or willful misconduct or failure to comply with federal safety or operational regulations. if any of those get proven in litigation, even