Spill developments

New laws follow cleanup in Gulf

Energy giant BP Plc was forging ahead with efforts to capture oil gushing from its stricken Gulf of Mexico well as the spill remained high on Washington's radar screen, with several congressional hearings set for Wednesday.

US weather forecasters confirmed late on Tuesday that some of the oil leaking from BP's well has lingered beneath the surface rather than rising to the top. Undersea oil depletes the water's oxygen content and threatens marine life like mussels, clams, crabs, eels and shrimp.