"White House Struggles as Criticism on Leak Mounts"

"HOUSTON — The Obama administration scrambled to respond on Sunday after the failure of the latest effort to kill the gushing oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. But administration officials acknowledged the possibility that tens of thousands of gallons of oil might continue pouring out until August, when two relief wells are scheduled to be completed.

'We are prepared for the worst,' said Carol M. Browner, President Obama’s climate change and energy policy adviser. 'We have been prepared from the beginning.'

Even as the White House sought to demonstrate that it was taking a more direct hand in trying to solve the problem, senior officials acknowledged that the new technique BP will use to try to cap the leak — severing the riser pipe and placing a containment dome over the cut riser — could temporarily result in as much as 20 percent more oil flowing into the water during the three days to a week before the new device could be in place. "

Clifford Krauss, John M. Broder and Jackie Calmes reports for the New York
Times May 31, 2010.

See Also:

Analysis: "Reforms Slow to Arrive at Drilling Agency" (New York Times)

"Obama Administration Moves To Distance Itself From BP on Oil Spill Response" (Washington Post)

"U.S. Attorney General To Visit Gulf Coast Tuesday" (Washington Post)

"Deadline for Reviewing Oil Drilling Proposal's Impact May Be Flexible" (Washington Post)

"Obama to Meet Oil Spill Panel Chairmen Tuesday" (Associated Press)