07:56 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005

By T.J. Aulds / Galveston Daily News

TEXAS CITY — Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III promised to “let the chips fall where they may” when a panel reviewing the safety culture at BP releases its final report next year.

Baker was named chairman of the panel on Monday.

The 11-member panel — formed at the urging of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board — will review the safety management systems of all of BP’s refineries in the United States.

Ten members were named Monday.

The final member, a union representative, will be named later, Baker said.

BP Products North America operates five refineries in the United States, including the nation’s third largest refinery in Texas City. The Texas City refinery was the site of a series of explosions March 23 that killed 15 people and injured more than 170.

“This will be a no-holds-barred inquiry here,” Baker said.

He said he had insisted in his first conversation with the company’s CEO, John Browne, that he wanted the panel to be seen as credible. Baker promised the panel would be “transparent and thorough.”

Among those joining Baker on the panel are:

• Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, a member of the Sept. 11 commission.

• Retired Adm. Frank Bowman, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute.

• Dennis Hendershot of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

• Nancy Leveson, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who specializes in accident investigation and modeling.

• Irv Rosenthal, a former chemical safety board member who is a senior research fellow at the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Process Center. Rosenthal had been working with the United Steelworkers — the union that represents the bulk of BP’s hourly workforce in Texas City — in its own investigation into the March 23 blasts.

The United Steelworkers regional director, Gary Beevers, could not be reached for comment.

Baker insisted that the company would have no influence over the panel’s work. He said he had made that demand to Browne.

Baker had veto power over the panel members whose names were put forward by BP’s law firm in Washington, D.C.

“The first thing we asked is: Will they be seen as credible members of the panel given their expertise?” Baker said.

He insisted as well that panel members reveal any financial ties to BP.

Baker’s law firm, Baker Botts, has represented BP in a series of legal issues, but the firm said Baker himself had not been personally involved.

Baker also sold 650 shares of BP stock when he agreed to chair the panel.

A disclosure statement issued by BP on Monday showed that six of the panel’s 10 members had some sort of association with BP either through money contributed to institutions or through the course of their work.

Baker, a former White House chief of staff and treasury secretary, deflected any concerns that the panel would be able to remain independent.

“For me, the important thing is this is seen to be a job well done,” he said. “I’m not about to put my reputation on the line to take this on just to whitewash it. I’m determined that this is going to be a transparent operation.

“Anybody who thinks that I would jeopardize a public service career such as I have had to go in the tank for something like this — I don’t think they understand how important one’s reputation is.”

Baker said the panel would conduct its work within 12 months and then present a final report.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BP Review Panel

A panel headed by former Secretary of State James Baker has been formed to review the safety management culture within BP’s refinery operations in the United States. There were 10 members of the panel named Monday. A final member to represent organized labor will be named later. The panel members are:

James Baker III, chairman: Secretary of State under President George H.W. Bush; White House chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan and former Secretary of the Treasury. Also served as the lead representative for the Bush-Cheney campaign during the 2000 election battle in Florida

Isadore “Irv” Rosenthal: Former member of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, now a research fellow at Wharton Risk Management and Decision Process Center

Dennis Hendershot: Consultant for the American Institute of Chemical Safety Engineers

Slade Gorton: Former U.S. senator from Washington, former Senate majority leader, member of the Sept. 11 commission

L. Duane Wilson: Retired vice president of refining for Conoco Phillips

Douglas Wiegmann: Clinical research scholar in cardiovascular surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y.

Paul V. Tebo: Former vice president of DuPont in charge of safety and environment

Sharon Priest: Former Arkansas secretary of state, now heads the Downtown Partnership in Little Rock, Ark.

Nancy Leveson: Professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also a professor of engineering systems at MIT.

Retired Adm. Frank L. “Skip” Bowman: President of the Nuclear Energy Institute.