[TheRealVille]

Chris Oynes, associate director for offshore energy and minerals management at MMS, departs as the agency faces growing criticism from Congress and the White House following last month's deadly explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

The accident, which led to the deaths of 11 workers and one of the worst offshore oil spills in the U.S. in decades, will be the subject of half a dozen congressional hearings this week, including two on Tuesday at which Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is scheduled to testify.

Mr. Salazar, whose department oversees the MMS, said last week he planned to reorganize the agency, splitting the MMS's revenue-collecting officials from those who are supposed to ensure compliance with safety and environmental rules. President Barack Obama last week ordered a review of the MMS, and criticized the "cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424...sNewsThird