Panel: Massive Oil Spill Could Happen Again

The presidential panel investigating the BP oil well blowout says that a series of risky decisions that saved time and money caused the disaster — and the incident could happen again without significant reforms.

That conclusion is the final word on what led to the massive Gulf oil spill from the seven-member panel appointed by President Barack Obama to investigate it.

In a 48-page excerpt obtained by The Associated Press, the commission says that the largest offshore oil spill in history can be explained by a single failure — industry management.

Personnel working for the three main companies — BP, Halliburton and Transocean — did not adequately consider how decisions would increase risk. If they had, the blowout would have been prevented, the commission says.