Follows Legislation Introduced by Chairman Markey, Rep. Capps

WASHINGTON (May 17, 2010) – Following legislation introduced by Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.), President Obama will appoint an independent commission to look into the Gulf oil spill and make recommendations to avoid such disasters in the future.

“Whether it’s a nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island or an oil blowout one mile deep, appointing an independent review panel is critical to reduce the risks of future accidents,” said Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Following the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, President Carter appointed an independent panel to investigate the cause of the meltdown and recommend safety improvements. 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.”

Reps. Markey and Capps introduced the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Inquiry Commission Act of 2010 (H.R. 5241) on May 6, 2010.

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