White House Appoints Five Members To Oil Spill Commission

14th Jun 2010 23:47

By Tennille Tracy Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--President Barack Obama on Monday appointed five members to a commission that will investigate the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and recommend ways to prevent future spills. The new members are a mix of academics and one environmentalist, and will operate under the oversight of two co-chairs appointed earlier this year. The co-chairs are Bob Graham, former U.S. senator from Florida, and William K. Reilly, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. "These individuals bring tremendous expertise and experience to the critical work of this commission," Obama said in a statement. Obama announced the creation of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling Commission earlier this year, a few weeks after the Deepwater Horizon rig caught fire and caused one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history. The five members are: Frances G. Beinecke--president, Natural Resources Defense Council; Donald Boesch--president, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Terry D. Garcia--executive vice president, Mission Programs for National Geographic Society; Cherry A. Murray--dean, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences/John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong professor of engineering and applied sciences; professor of physics; and Frances Ulmer--chancellor, University of Alaska Anchorage -By Tennille Tracy, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6619; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 14, 2010 18:47 ET (22:47 GMT)