A head or two may roll over the oil leak but I doubt very much that any of the heads will be those of Messrs. McCay, Newman or Probert. These guys didn't get to their present corporate stations by falling on their swords over mishaps; far from it. If there is a reckoning, it will be for some low-level managers or engineers but I wouldn't bet much even on that. Remember the Challenger? The space shuttle that blew up on takeoff due to systematic bureaucratic bungling? The only person who suffered career-wise for that was the whistle-blower who had predicted the problem. Everybody else involved engaged in a little circular finger-pointing and was duly promoted and/or given bonuses once the excitement had blown over. And that's not a unique example.

There'll be some better protection against well blowouts so this exact accident won't happen again. The companies involved, especially BP, will pay some fines and settle some damages but it probably won't hurt more than one quarter's financial return. Some little non-responsible outfits, fishermen and such, will be ruined, not the big guys.