Panel probes decisions made after Gulf spill

[September 27, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mark Bly, head of safety and operations for BP PLC, testifies before the National Academy of Engineering panel during a hearing on the Gulf of Mexico spill in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

How well did the White House react to the Gulf oil spill disaster? A federal panel appointed by President Barack Obama starts its investigation Monday.

The two-day meeting of the presidential oil spill commission will look at the controversial use of chemical dispersants, a moratorium on deep-water drilling and Obama's plans to make the Gulf's environment better than it was before the huge spill. It will also examine who was in charge of making critical decisions -- BP PLC or the federal government.

The April 20 explosion and fire killed 11 workers, sunk the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and unleashed 206 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. It also tested the oil industry's and government's capabilities to respond to a massive blowout in deep water.

[Associated Press; By DINA CAPPIELLO]

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