Obama vows to bring justice to oil spill culprit
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U.S. President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday that if laws were broken in the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill, those responsible will be brought to justice.
"If our laws were broken leading to this death and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice on behalf of the victims of this catastrophe and the people of the Gulf region," Obama told reporters after meeting co- chairs of a presidential commission on oil spill.
He ordered the commission to take a thorough probe into the huge oil spill to prevent history from repeating itself, adding that the commission will get his full support.
"They have my full support to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor," Obama said.
Obama directed the co-chairs to report back in six months "with options for how we can prevent and mitigate the impact of any future spills that result from offshore drilling."
The president said if laws and oversight rules are insufficient in wake of the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill, they may be changed. He also said energy giant BP would be held accountable for financial losses from the "greatest environmental disaster" in U.S. history.
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, owned by Transocean and leased by BP, sank April 22 some 52 km off Venice, Louisiana, after burning for roughly 36 hours. The untapped wellhead continues gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. With the oil continuing to come ashore, criticism of the spill response mounted.
Obama announced the establishment of an independent presidential commission to investigate the huge oil spill on May 22. Former senator Bob Graham, a Democrat, and former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency William Reilly, a Republican, serve as co-chairmen of the seven-member body.
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