根據國會議員與媒體17日的消息指出，美國總統歐巴馬將設置一個獨立委員會調查墨西哥灣鑽油平台原油洩漏的原因以及對此事件的應變方式，最快18日便可成立。
英國石油公司所租用的鑽油平台在4月份爆炸沉沒，地點位於路易斯安納州海岸外50英里，在過去 27天，原油每天自破損的油井口湧入墨西哥灣水域。目前浮油覆蓋的面積至少已有7500平方英里。
麻薩諸塞州眾議員馬基(Edward Markey)於17日表示：「歐巴馬總統正針對此原油洩漏事件籌組一個獨立的高階小組，將有助於提供建議，確保類似災禍不再發生。」同為民主黨的馬基與加州眾議員卡普斯(Lois Capps)在5月6日提出一項立法，提議成立跨兩黨的獨立委員會來調查原油洩漏事件，並做出預防的建議。
加州參議員鮑克塞(Barbara Boxer)、羅德島參議員懷特豪斯(Sheldon Whitehouse)與紐澤西參議員梅南德斯(Robert Menendez)亦提出相似的法案。
美國海岸防衛隊與礦業管理局(Minerals Management Service, MMS)目前正進行一項聯邦級的調查，而後者正是負責監督聯邦水域近海鑽探的機關。
總統委員會的工作很可能優先著手調查並探究礦業管理局近海鑽探的法規，了解其為何准許英國石油在無法證明可防止原油洩漏的情況下進行鑽探。
一位要求隱藏身分的白宮官員告訴紐約時報：「委員會將考量到這些進行中的調查攸關漏油原因，而會探究一連串的問題，包括鑽油平台安全管理；聯邦、各州與地方的法規體制；聯邦政府的監督工作，包括礦業管理局的架構與功能；以及環境評估與其他保護措施。」
官員表示，委員會成立法源為總統行政命令，其地位等同於1986年挑戰者號太空梭爆炸與1979年三哩島核電廠意外所成立的委員會。
總統歐巴馬曾於14日對這件仍在持續中的原油洩漏災難表示過憤怒。本月稍早前往墨西哥灣區的路途上，歐巴馬表示其「親眼見到我們墨西哥灣區的同胞所感到的憤怒與挫折。而讓我告訴你，身為總統我也同樣感受到這股憤怒與挫折。」
「完整的調查將可告訴我們究竟發生了什麼。」歐巴馬14日表示。「但這相當清楚說明了這個制度失效了，失效的很糟糕。就這一點，便有足夠的責任要去解決。而各界都應準備接受這狀況。」
「而這包括了聯邦政府，」歐巴馬說：「長久以來，十幾年來或是更久，石油公司與主管鑽油許可的聯邦機關之間關係良好，看起來聯邦機關常常只要石油公司提出安全保證，便准許其鑽探。這不可能也將不會再發生了。」
President Barack Obama will establish an independent commission to investigate the cause of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the response to it as early as Tuesday, according to statements of elected representatives and media reports late today.
BP leased the oil rig, which exploded and sank in April, 50 miles off the Louisiana coast, leaving the broken wellhead gushing oil into gulf waters for the past 27 days. The oil slick now covers at least 7,500 square miles.
"President Obama creating an independent blue-ribbon panel on this oil spill will help provide the recommendations to ensure that similar disasters do not happen again," said Congressman Edward Markey of Massachusetts today. Markey and Lois Capps of California, both Democrats, introduced legislation May 6 proposing a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the oil spill and make precautionary recommendations.
Senators Barbara Boxer of California, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Robert Menendez of New Jersey have a companion bill.
A federal investigation is now being conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service, MMS, the agency responsible for oversight of offshore drilling in federal waters.
The work of a presidential commission would likely take precedence over that investigation and probe the MMS' regulation of offshore drilling that allowed BP to drill without proof that a spill could be prevented.
"The commission will take into account the investigations underway concerning the causes of the spill and explore a range of issues including: industry practices; rig safety; federal, state, and local regulatory regimes; federal governmental oversight, including the structure and functions of MMS; and environmental review and other protections," a White House official told the "New York Times," requesting that his identity be shielded.
Created by Executive Order, the commission will be parallel to those that investigated the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979, the official said.
President Obama Friday expressed anger at the ongoing oil spill disaster. On his trip to the gulf earlier this month, Obama said he "saw firsthand the anger and frustration felt by our neighbors in the Gulf. And let me tell you, it is an anger and frustration that I share as President."
"A full investigation will tell us exactly what happened," Obama said Friday. "But it is pretty clear that the system failed, and it failed badly. And for that, there is enough responsibility to go around. And all parties should be willing to accept it."
"That includes, by the way, the federal government," the President said. "For too long, for a decade or more, there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill. It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies. That cannot and will not happen anymore."
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
