The device meant to stop oil leaking from a Gulf of Mexico well after last month's rig explosion was faulty, US Congressional investigators have said. The blowout preventer (BOP), a set of huge valves, had a hydraulic leak and a failed battery, they said after studying documents from BP and others.Oil industry chiefs say it is too early to conclude what caused the disaster.
A climate change bill just submitted to the Senate could allow states to veto some offshore drilling plans.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has also proposed new legislation which foresees $188m (£127m) in emergency funding to cope with the fallout from the oil spill. His administration intends to recover most of the money from BP.
In a letter to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mr Obama requested $100m in immediate funding for the Coast Guard and $29m for the Secretary of the Interior for additional inspections, enforcement and studies, saying he would "spare no effort to clean up whatever damage has been caused".
More...
Hundreds of firefighters in Utah have struggled to suppress a wildfire that scorched an additional 20,000...
Salt Lake City’s National Weather Service declared a “particularly dangerous situation red flag warning”, the first...
Lake Powell ‒ the massive Colorado River reservoir that produces power for millions of homes across...
