White House to Create Oil Spill Commission

Last updated at 7:45 p.m ET

The federal official overseeing offshore drilling announced his departure Monday in a fallout from the Gulf oil spill and criticism that federal regulators have been too cozy with industry.

President Barack Obama, meanwhile, has decided to have a presidential commission investigate the cause of the rig explosion that unleashed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, where engineers are struggling after three weeks to stop the flow.

The presidential panel will be similar to ones that examined the Challenger space shuttle disaster and Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident, said a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been formally announced. The commission also will examine the safety of offshore oil drilling and the effectiveness of its regulations.

Special Section: Disaster in the Gulf
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Oil Spill by the Numbers
Gulf Oil Spill Containment Efforts

In Congress, more attention was focused on the Gulf spill.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and seven other senators asked the Justice Department to determine whether BP PLC made false and misleading claims to the government about its ability to prevent a serious oil spill when it applied for permission last year to drill the Deepwater Horizon well that has unleashed environmental havoc along the Gulf coast.

But lawmakers are taking aim not only at BP at hearings this week, but also the Interior Department's regulation of offshore drilling that allowed BP to operate without assurance a massive spill could be prevented.

On Monday, the fallout from the Gulf spill began having its impact on the agency charged with regulating offshore drilling.

Chris Oynes, the associate Minerals Management Service administrator for offshore drilling programs, informed colleagues he will retire at the end of the month, according to an e-mail sent to agency officials and obtained by The Associated Press.

Oynes, who was regional director in charge of Gulf offshore oil programs for 13 years before he was promoted in 2007 to head all offshore drilling programs, has come under criticism for being too close to the industry.

He told colleagues unexpectedly that he will retire on May 31. A person in Oynes' office said he was in meetings and unavailable for comment. Oynes had earlier indicated his plans to retire, but decided to accelerate his departure, said an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue involved a personnel matter. It was unclear what pressure, if any, was made.

The departure was welcomed on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, said he hoped Oynes' retirement signaled an understanding that wholesale changes "will be necessary to fundamentally reform MMS."

"It represents an opportunity to begin anew with a clean slate," said Rahall, whose committee is investigating MMS' regulation of offshore drilling activities.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a longtime MMS critic, said the agency has been corrupt for more than a decade, a period spanning three administrations, and that its shortcomings were not the fault of one person. The agency "is in need of an exhaustive overhaul and comprehensive reform," he said.

At a Senate hearing Monday, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Peter Neffenger says the Gulf oil spill is beyond what anyone anticipated and demonstrates that response plans for future spills will have to be changed. Neffenger, the deputy national incident commander at the Coast Guard, testified before the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.

Nearly a month into the crisis, BP America's President Lamar McKay admitted Monday it may be nowhere near the end, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. If all else fails, hopes are pinned on so-called "relief wells."

"We do have a high level of confidence that the relief wells will permanently seal the well," McKay said.

Boxer, whose Environment Committee will hold hearings Tuesday, said BP claimed to have the capability to prevent a serious oil spill in case of a well blowout.

"In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill ... it does not in any way appear there was 'proven equipment and technology' to respond to the spill" as BP claimed, she and the other senators wrote Attorney General Eric Holder. They asked the Justice Department to determine whether any criminal or civil laws may have been violated as to misleading the government.

Anticipating tough questioning on Capitol Hill at hearings this week, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Monday announced a tightening of requirements for onshore oil and gas drilling. The new measures would not apply to oil rigs at sea.

"The BP oil spill is a stark reminder of how we must continue to push ahead with the reforms we have been working on and which we know are needed," Salazar said.

[Tastes_Like_Chicken]

President Obama, voting present again.

[RobAla]

Another opportunity for the federal government to grow itself. We are supposed to already have federal oversight of off shore drilling. We don't need another commission. Have Congress investigate the agency. They should be doing this rather than the stupid health care bill, cap and trade, and all the other terrible ideas. Let Congress stay busy investigating the federal governments failure to properly oversee off shore drilling, and maybe they won't create new ways to screw the taxpayers. While they are at it, why don't they investigate why the federal government refuses to enforce it's own immigration law.

[independent_midwesterner]

The approval of dispersants which form micelles is just increasing the solubility of oil. It will spread it wider and keep it in the water. It is better to allow the oil to come up can remove it then!!

Obama administration has made a fatal error about things they are not qualified to make.

Lawyers are not qualified to lead this country anymore given the high technology!!

[riptide213]

Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Cree Indian Proverb




Unchecked, unquenchable industrial greed causing eco disasters or altruistic earth friendly green agenda for future generations of Americans, US taxpayers cannot pick up the tab for both.

This is a defining opportunity for our so called first world country to make a meaningful, positive leap forward in global leadership role modeling with robust environmental protection changes for the better.

President Obama must clearly and dynamically lead US government into a bold, new era of proactive, preventative environmental stewardship excellence with full accountability and absolutely zero tolerance for all violations and any arrogant eco contempt.

Providence now dictates it is time for a top to bottom rewrite of all US environmental protection laws and legitimate reinvigoration of all accepted wisdom for more scrupulous compliance and steadfast enforcement.

[pensacola8-2009]

The creation of the spill commission is smart move and displays the president's willingness to empower subject matter experts. A political machine that creates commissions shows that government itself is not acting upon the common beliefs that suggest it inflates in size with every new hazard it officiates over, but instead uses the process of a commission to produce solutions and recommendations for policies.

I applaud President Obama for a wise decision and for demonstrating wisdom and patience to survive the most essential ingredient for this crisis- discernment. We must know what we are working against, before we expend resources that prove futile.

I myself, don't support the idea that uses chemical dispersants and converts oil to an emulsifier which saturates the the seawater with toxic elements thar harm sea life and precious coral. The majority of the AIDS and Cancer fighting drugs require a root stock of ingredients that come from coral reefs found in the Florida Keys.

Hopefully, the commission will identify all the impacts and losses that we endure through this event.

During certain times of the year, 90 percent of seafood came from the waters off Louisiana. Floating oil isn't as harmful as suspended oil.

[novamba]

Do I smell a Blue Ribbon Panel?

[rykatspop]

This will be another fact finding mission to get to the bottom of things to recommend changes and safeguards that will amount to nothing--even when the disaster happens again 25 years from now. The difference will be that CA won't be as forgiving as the South. I only have sympathy for the farmers, fishermen and families of the dead oil riggers who work so hard, but pay all the dues for this kind of crap and irresponsibility. Disasters happen, but wild hopes for half baked solutions to work is a joke from these so-called industry experts. It's all about maximizing profits,putting spin on things. Congress will dance right along with its own lies. Americans will pay for ever greater profits. The environment be damned. The dead riggers, too. It's all a part of doing business as usual.

[spaceatoms]

First of all, they have not solved the problem, they are only getting 30 percent at best, second, its more reactionary policies, I did not vote for President Obama for the type of leadership thus exemplified so far, I voted for massive vetoing of bailouts, corporate plutocratic polices and massive spending sprees, now raise the interest rates and stop the shopping spree, its like we have three girls in the white house!

[Chris_VA]

The commission is a waste of time; we should kick BP out of the gulf and nuke the well head...

[Skruffy1]

Sunday's 60 Minutes segment on the Deepwater Horizon debacle was pretty damning. It's very likely there was criminal negligence. Kudos to CBS for 60 Minutes.

[larry0304]

us_1776 -Oh that is just classic! Anyone who speaks out against Liberalism and Socialism must be a Limbaugh follower. Sorry to disappoint you. Just a guy living in Illinois who has watched the spend and tax liberals lead this state into bankruptcy. Bush was an idiot but Obama is much more dangerous cause he knows EXACTLY what he's doing. He's doing exactly what he learned in Illinois which is tax and spend. I submit the state of Illinois as exhibit #1 to back up my point. However, I've seen enough people here like you that just resort to your little name tags on people you disagree with. How refreshing if just ONCE your kind came up with ANY factual proof that spend and tax works........