Congress' Gulf Oil Spill Response Given a 'D' By Commissioners

ananyo writes "Many of the problems that led to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill have not been addressed, say the members of a commission set up by U.S. President Barack Obama to study the disaster. The group released a report today (PDF) on progress towards its 2011 recommendations for preventing future disasters and improving spill response. The U.S. Congress fares worst in the new report, earning a 'D' rating for its failure to enact any meaningful legislation in response to the disaster. The Restore Act would allocate 80% of any fines that BP pays for the spill under the Clean Water Act to restoring the environment and economies of the states in the Gulf of Mexico, but the act has stalled in the House of Representatives. The Obama administration did better, with a B, thanks in part to new drilling regulations, while the oil industry's efforts to improve safety saw it awarded a C+."

Well, on the upside

[crazyjj]

They scored an "A" on fund-raising from oil companies.

But an A by BP

[Anonymous Coward]

In a related note, BP gave Congress' an A+ on their response to the oil spill.

Useless information

[Iniamyen]

In other news, the commissioners were given an 'A+' on their use of overly simplified letter grades for summarizing complex issues.