WBRZ - Baton Rouge

WASHINGTON D.C. - Hearings get underway today where independent investigators will release their initial findings into the causes of the massive Gulf oil spill.

Representatives of the three companies involved in the spill will be there as well.

The seven-member commission has a Jan. 11 deadline to report their findings to President Barack Obama, outlining what caused the disaster and what needs to be done to prevent another one.

The president's commission is the first independent body to weigh in on the spill that dumped 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Companies involved in the explosion, Democratic lawmakers and boards connected with the agency that approved BP's drilling plan have also examined the spill.