Oil Spill Commission Meeting Opens in New Orleans

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – Business owners and fishing industry experts are outlining disastrous financial hits inflicted by oil gushing out of BP's blown-out well. The public is also getting a chance to talk about how their lives have been affected. President Obama appointed the commission to determine the cause of the April 20th Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that killed 11 men. It's also charged with looking at how the oil spill is being contained and cleaned, and how such a disaster can be prevented. BP vice president Kent Wells says two relief wells are almost ready to kill the leaking well by the middle of next month. If that doesn't work, oil could be diverted to other offshore facilities and could begin in late August or September. The panel has six months to deliver its report to the White House.
For NPR News, I'm Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.