APNewsBreak: Senate Democrats want Justice Department to investigate Gulf Coast oil spill

APNewsBreak: Boxer wants DOJ inquiry in oil spill

WASHINGTON — California Sen. Barbara Boxer and other Democrats on the Senate environment committee are calling for the Department of Justice to open a criminal and civil investigation into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Boxer, who chairs the environment panel, said that operators of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig did not appear to have required equipment and technology needed to respond to the spill, which has dumped millions of gallons into the Gulf of Mexico.

Six other Democratic senators and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont joined Boxer in requesting the Justice Department investigation.

Boxer said BP officials appeared to misstate the company’s ability to respond to an oil spill resulting from a blowout.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Coast Guard Rear Adm. Peter Neffenger says the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is beyond what anyone anticipated.

Neffenger tells senators Monday that, at a minimum, officials will go back and look at how future response plans should be revised. Neffenger is the deputy national incident commander at the Coast Guard.

Neffenger and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (neh-pahl-ih-TAN’-oh) are the first two administration officials to testify on Capitol Hill about the deadly oil spill.