Oil Industry Has New Watchdog

The White House announced Tuesday a new leader for the much-maligned oil industry watchdog Minerals and Management Service, which has been accused of lax oversight in the wake of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf Coast. Michael Bromwich, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Justice Department inspector general, will replace Elizabeth Birnbaum, who stepped down last month. Bromwich will have the power to restructure the department, possibly into three entities to avoid any conflicts of interest. Meanwhile, Gulf officials revised upward estimates of leaking oil; they now place the number between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels per day.