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Wednesday October 6, 2010

White House blocked BP oil spill estimates - Govt panel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House in the spring blocked release of government estimates on the worst-case scenario of the amount of oil that was spewing from BP's well in the Gulf of Mexico, the presidential commission looking into the accident said on Wednesday.

The commission said its staff was told that in late April or early May that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wanted to make public some of its long-term, worst-case spill models for the Deepwater Horizon accident and requested approval from the White House's Office of Management and Budget to make the information public.

A slick of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil floats near a boat off Grand Isle, Louisiana June 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Lee Celano/Files)

"Staff was told that the Office of Management and Budget denied NOAA's request," the commission said in a draft report on the amount of oil spilled and what happened to it.

(Reporting by Tom Doggett; Editing by David Gregorio)

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