Chris Oynes, the Minerals Management Service official in charge of offshore drilling, will retire on May 31, the Associated Press reported.

Oynes was planning to retire but moved up the date amid criticism of his agency's role in the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. He was promoted to his current post by the Bush administration.

In response to the crisis, President Barack Obama will appoint an independent commission to investigate the BP spill. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar also announced reforms to onshore oil and gas leasing.

MMS is the agency responsible for collecting royalties owed to tribes and individual Indians.

Get the Story:
MMS drilling official retires in oil spill fallout (AP 5/17)
Independent probe of BP oil spill in works (The Washington Post 5/18)

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