The US Oil spill management regime has previously received criticism, mainly for not being capable of anticipating major oil spills taking place deep below sea-level, such as the Deepwater Horizon accident. Because of this, many scientists and experts on the area, have called for a more flexible approach to oil spill governance, where the authorities are better equipped and capable of choosing from a variety of response-options depending on the severity, magnitude, and nature of the oil spill.