BP chairman summoned to Obama over spill

WASHINGTON: BP chairman Carl Henric Svanberg has been summoned to a meeting with President Barack Obama next Wednesday to answer questions related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, an official letter said.

"The BP Deepwater Horizon spill is the largest environmental disaster in our nation's history," said the letter to Svanberg from Thad Allen, a Coast Guard admiral who is leading the US government's response to the crisis.

"The potential devastation to the Gulf Coast, its economy, and its people require relentless efforts to stop the leak and contain the damage," it said.

"As a responsible party, BP is financially responsible for all costs associated with the response to the spill, including efforts to stop the leak at its source, reduce the spread of the oil, protect the shoreline and mitigate damages, as well as support long term recovery efforts to ensure that all individuals and communities impacted by the spill are made whole.

"As part of our ongoing communication, I request that you and any appropriate officials from BP, meet with senior administration officials on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 to discuss these timely issues," it said.

"Our administration is not going to rest or be satisfied until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil in the Gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people of the Gulf are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods."