FOR THE FIRST time since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, BP had a good week. The well that was the source of the largest oil spill in world history has been capped — this time, for good. Or so we hope.
Just as important, the company announced it was re-engineering the claims-handling process in order to get money flowing to those who desperately need it. Since the federal government and BP are still working through the details of the separate $20 billion fund that Ken Feinberg will manage, this was welcome news. We are now officially entering the stage of recovery and renewal. Or so we hope.
We on the Press-Register editorial board believe optimism is more justified now than we felt barely more than a week ago. That was when we published two front-page editorials blistering BP for foot-dragging with respect to spill claims.
We printed the second — headlined "BP: Broken Promises" and opening with an invitation for the company to "take your promises and shove 'em" — when we saw no meaningful reaction to the first.
Yes, our tone was intentionally shrill. As the largest and most experienced reporting organization in the region, we knew about the effects of the spill on countless individuals and businesses — people whose lives are invested in the health of the Gulf and Mobile Bay. Somebody had to scream on behalf of those folks.
And we got a reaction.
By mid-afternoon of the day that second editorial ran, Gov. Bob Riley, incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley and I were meeting at the Mobile Downtown Airport. Dudley walked into the room with the Press-Register’s front page in his hand.
At the governor’s request, the BP chief executive heard me lay out narratives of anxiety that our reporters and members of our editorial board have brought back to the newsroom. Dudley listened. He asked questions.
I told him about a common and acute fear along the coast, that capping the well will provide an excuse for delaying or altogether freezing the claims process. I am convinced he understood.
Then Gov. Riley passionately urged Dudley to remove every paperwork barrier to getting money where it was needed. Unless we move quickly, said Gov. Riley, too many families and businesses will fall between the cracks, and be lost for a generation or longer.
Dudley told us that BP was already writing more than $5 million in checks each day, but he was committed to working his team overtime to speed up the process. And he made this promise: The company will rev up its efforts to fulfill its commitment. And quickly.
BP’s claims director announced such an escalation of effort a few days later, in a story that also ran on our front page.
Given our earlier pointed criticism of BP, readers may be surprised to hear us now say some positive things about the company. We’re not ready to sing “Kumbaya” just yet, not until there’s convincing evidence of a fast-tracked, comprehensive recovery program. We’ll be watching every step.
But during that meeting, I was reminded of this inescapable reality: If BP fails, there’s no back-up plan. Without BP, we’re toast. That means we need BP to not only survive this crisis, but to be a strong, effective collaborator with the communities and the people of the Gulf Coast as we work toward renewal and recovery.
Let that partnership begin.
(Readers can e-mail Publisher Ricky Mathews at rmathews@press-register.com.)