"Top Democrat Criticizes U.S. Oil Spill Report"

"White House claims that the worst of the BP oil spill  was over were undermined [Thursday] when a senior government scientist said three-quarters of the oil was still in the Gulf environment and a research study detected a 22-mile plume of oil in the ocean depths.

Bill Lehr, a senior scientist at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) departed from an official report from two weeks ago which suggested the majority of the oil had been captured or broken down.

'I would say most of that is still in the environment,' Lehr, the lead author of the report, told the House Energy and Commerce Committee."

Suzanne Goldenberg reports for the UK Guardian August 19, 2010.

SEE ALSO:

"Where's the Math on Gov't Oil Spill Report?" (Kate Sheppard/Mother Jones)

"Markey Says Report That Most Oil Is Gone Has Led To 'False Confidence'" (Huffington Post)

"Ummm, About That Disappearing Oil?"

"White House Slammed for Rosy Gulf View" (Politico)

"Academic Scientists Say Oil From Gulf Spill Is Not Going Away Quickly" (Washington Post)

"Top Democrat Criticizes U.S. Oil Spill Report" (Wall St. Journal)

"Scientists Say Gulf Oil To Linger, Administration's Estimates Rosy" (McClatchy/Miami Herald)

"Rep. Markey Challenges U.S. Claims About Gulf Spill" (NPR)

"Gulf Oil Spill: Most of the Oil Remains" (Greenspace/L.A. Times)

Source: Guardian, 08/20/2010