WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A commission appointed by President Barack Obama to study the causes of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill gives academics and environmentalists a prominent role in making recommendations about the future of offshore drilling in the United States.
The seven-member commission is tasked with determining what caused BP's Deepwater Horizon explosion, and what should be done to prevent future spills. It is slated to hold its first public meeting July 12-13 in New Orleans, where it will hear from residents affected by the spill.