National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling is a presidential commission, established by Executive Order 13543 signed by Barack Obama on May 21, 2010, that is “tasked with providing recommendations on how the United States can prevent and mitigate the impact of any future spills that result from offshore drilling.” It came about as a result of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
The Commission's purpose is to:
- Examine the facts and circumstances to determine the cause of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster
- Develop options for guarding against future oil spills associated with offshore drilling
- Submit a final public report to the President with its findings within 6 months of the Commission's first meeting
The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill And Offshore Drilling's Final Report:
- Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling, Jan. 11, 2011
- Summary of Recommendations, Jan, 2011
- Macondo: The Gulf Oil Disaster, Chief Counsel's Report, Feb. 17, 2011
Key Publications of the Commission:
- A Brief History of Offshore Oil Drilling, Aug. 23, 2010
- The Amount and Fate of the Oil, Oct. 6, 2010
- The Challenges of Oil Spill Response in the Arctic, Oct. 6, 2010
- The Use of Surface and Subsea Dispersants During the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Oct. 6, 2010
- Decision-Making Within the Unified Command, Oct. 6, 2010
- Preliminary technical conclusions of the BP Oil Spill Commission, Nov. 8, 2010
- Mabus Report, Nov. 16, 2010
- Response/Clean-Up Technology Research & Development and the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Nov. 22
- Stopping the Spill: The Five-Month Effort to Kill the Macondo Well, Nov. 22, 2010
- Liability Caps and the Financial Responsibility: Summary, Dec. 1, 2010
- The Story of the Louisiana Berms Project, Dec. 16, 2010
- The History of Offshore Oil and Gas in the United States (long version), Jan. 11, 2011 [[media:historyofdrillingstaffpaper22.pdf|]]
- Liability and Compensation Requirements under the Oil Pollution Act, Jan. 11, 2011
- Continuous Improvement Is Essential: Leveraging Global Data and Consistent Standards for Safe Offshore Operations, Jan. 11, 2011
- Industry’s Role in Supporting Health, Safety, and Environmental Standards: Options and Models for the Offshore Oil and Gas Sector, Jan. 12, 2011
- Federal Environmental Review of Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico: Environmental Consultations, Permits, and Authorizations, Jan. 12, 2011
- Offshore Drilling in the Arctic: Background and Issues for the Future Consideration of Oil and Gas Activities, Feb. 7, 2011
- Rebuilding an Appetite for Gulf Seafood after Deepwater Horizon, Feb. 7, 2011
- Natural Resource Damage Assessment: Evolution, Current Practice, and Preliminary Findings Related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Feb. 7, 2011
- The National Environmental Policy Act and Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Activities, Feb. 8, 2011
- A Competent and Nimble Regulator: A New Approach to Risk Assessment and Management, Feb. 8, 2011
- Unlawful Discharges of Oil: Legal Authorities for Civil and Criminal Enforcement and Damage Recovery, Feb. 24, 2011
- Long-Term Regional Restoration in the Gulf: Funding Sources and Governance Structures, Feb. 24, 2011
- Scientific Research to Support Oil and Gas Decision Making: Evolution of the Department of the Interior’s Environmental Studies Program, Feb. 24, 2011
Research
The Commission and staff consulted with a number of outside experts as part of its investigation and research. The following reports were submitted to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling at the request of staff, but the report is not the work product of the Commission or its staff, and should not be construed in any respect as the official or unofficial findings, opinions, statements, or recommendations of the Commission or its staff. All findings, opinions, statements, and recommendations contained in these reports are solely those of the authors.
- Resources for the Future Oil Spill Commission series
- The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and a Review of MMS NEPA Documents, Professor Margaret R. Caldwell, Professor Deborah A. Sivas and Kimiko Narita, Stanford Law School, Oct. 19, 2010 [[media:stanfordcenteroceanssolutionbp-commission_nepa-report_10-19-2010.pdf|]]
- The Offshore Oil and Gas Industry in the Gulf of Mexico Key Economic Characteristics of the Supply Chain, Booz Allen Hamilton, Oct. 5, 2010 [[media:supply-chain-economics-report_part-one_oct_5_4-pm_r1.pdf|]]
- The Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Market Response - Part One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Oct. 5, 2010 [[media:finance-report-part-one_oct_5_4-pm_r2.pdf|]]
- The Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Market Response - Part Two, Booz Allen Hamilton, Oct. 29, 2010 [[media:finance-report-part-two_oct_21_5-pm_r1.pdf|]]
- The Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Report in Insurance - Part One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Oct. 5, 2010 [[media:insurance_report_part-one_oct_5_4-pm_r1.pdf|]]
- The Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Report in Insurance - Part Two, Booz Allen Hamilton, Oct. 12, 2010 [[media:insurance-_report_part-two_oct-12-2010_r1.pdf|]]
- The Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Report in Insurance - Part Three, Booz Allen Hamilton, Oct. 29, 2010 [[media:insurance-report-part-three_oct_21_5-pm_r1.pdf|]]
- Jody Freeman Presentation on Structural Options for MMS/BOEM, Nov. 1, 2010 [[media:jodyfreemanpresentation_11-1.pdf|]]
- Jody Freeman Powerpoint, Nov. 1, 2010 [[media:jodyfreemanpowerpoint.pdf|]]
- Insurance and Safety Incentives, Professor Thomas W. Merrill, Columbia Law School, Jan. 11, 2011 [[media:merrill-paper-final_1-11.pdf|]]
- Analysis of Well Containment and Control Attempts in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Blowout in MC252, Tyagi, et al., Louisiana State University, Jan. 12, 2011 [[media:analysis-of-well-containment-and-control-attempts_1-12.pdf|]]
- Economists' Perspectives on Liability Insurance, Ishan Nath, Mar. 11, 2011 [[media:economists-perspectives-on-liability-insurance_3-11.pdf|]]
Testimony Before the Commission:
- John M. Barry, Sept. 28, 2010
- Garret Graves, Sept. 28, 2010