Bill Ritter

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who helped lead the government's response to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, will announce he is stepping down from his post, an Obama administration official said on Wednesday.The former U.S. senator from Colorado came to office pledging to clean up the "mess" at the Interior Department, but it was the massive 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that ultimately spurred the dramatic overhaul of the nation's offshore drilling regulator.Salazar's departure comes as President Barack Obama's cabinet undergoes the typical make-over for his second term. Other energy officials, including Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson, have already announced they would not be staying on. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is also widely tipped to leave.The Denver Post, which first reported Salazar's move, said President Barack Obama had wanted him to remain at the department, which has a key role in regulating industries such as energy and m...

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