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Panel Starts Review of BP Explosion in Texas City

Posted on: Friday, 11 November 2005, 15:00 CST

By Anne Belli, Houston Chronicle

Nov. 11--An independent panel headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III to review BP's corporate safety culture met for the first time Thursday and plans for a public meeting next month.

Formed at the behest of federal investigators looking into the deadly March explosion at BP's Texas City refinery, the 11-member panel met privately for six hours at Baker's law office to establish its organizational structure, said John Williams, a policy assistant for Baker.

"Our goal is to conduct a thorough, independent and credible review," Baker said in a prepared statement. "After today's lengthy meeting, I am confident that our 11-member panel is dedicated to determining if BP's North America safety management systems and corporate culture are properly focused on, and effective, at preventing tragic accidents like the one that occurred in Texas City."

The panel also heard from several speakers, including Carolyn Merritt, chairwoman of the U.S. Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board.

The board urged creation of the panel in August, saying its investigation into the blast had raised serious concerns about the company's attitude toward safety at all five of its U.S. refineries.

The March 23 blast killed 15 workers and injured more than 170 others.

"Aside from the human toll, the petroleum industry can ill afford destructive incidents at a time of critical gasoline supplies," Merritt told the panel, according to a copy of her statement made available by the chemical safety board. "The entire BP Texas City refinery -- representing 3 percent of the nation's capacity -- has been shut down since late September due to safety concerns. So the panel will most assuredly be in the national interest."

Don Holmstrom, lead accident investigator with the board, also presented the panel with the agency's preliminary findings, Williams said.

And officials with the United Steelworkers lent their support, Mike Wright, director of health, safety and environment with the union, said after the meeting.

"We went there to tell the panel that the union was there to help however we could," Wright said.

He said the panel members asked many questions and appeared to be off to a good start. "It was really very impressive."

Williams said the panel will have its next meeting in late December in Texas City and at least part of it will be open to the public.

"There will be a lot of meetings," he said.

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Source: Houston Chronicle

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