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Oil spill panel: Obama's plan insufficient
The Obama administration's overhaul of the federal agency that regulates offshore drilling doesn't go far enough [1] to prevent conflicts of interest and enhance safety, according to leaders of the presidential panel studying the causes of the Gulf oil spill.
Obama's overhaul involved replacing top leadership, giving the agency a new name, and separating the offices overseeing safety from the offices collecting royalties. When the changes were announced, critics said tthe agency's competing interests [2] weren't fully addressed. The spill panel seemed to take a similar view, reported the Houston Chronicle:
[Commission Co-Chairman William] Reilly said the government may need to "construct an impenetrable wall" that keeps environmental and safety regulators separated from officials who sell leases.
In a draft recommendation, the commission suggests creation of a new agency in the Interior Department to focus on safety issues and environmental analysis.