National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling Federal government officials and representatives of BP on the status of the spill and clean-up efforts, as well as from local officials, community leaders, and scientists on the economic, cultural, and ecological impacts of the oil spill on Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems. On October 6, 2010 the commission released preliminary reports criticizing the Obama administration for mismanagement of its response to the "Deepwater Horizon" oil spill. Amongst other things cited were, not being fully candid with the American people, and giving the impression of not being fully competent. On January 11, 2011, the commission released its final report, with
Oil spill volume is a limited measure of damage or impact. Smaller spills have already proven to have a great impact on ecosystems, such as the "Exxon Valdez" oil spill because of the remoteness of the site or the difficulty of an emergency environmental response. Since 2004, between 300 and 700 barrels of oil per day have been leaking from the site of an oil-production platform 12 miles off the Louisiana coast which sank in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. The oil spill, which officials estimate could continue throughout the 21st century, will eventually overtake the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizion disaster as