“We have to get the priorities right,” the CEO of BP said. “And Job One is to get to these things that have happened, get them fixed and get them sorted out. We don’t just sort them out on the surface; we get them fixed deeply.”

So, when did he say this?

In fact, it was four years ago, in a July 2006 interview with the New York Times, entitled “BP Says It Will Address Safety and Legal Problems.” And it wasn’t Tony Hayward who made the pledge; it was the previous CEO, Lord John Browne.

This was a year after an explosion at a BP refinery in Texas had killed 15 people and injured hundreds more. And it was just after oil was discovered leaking from miles of BP pipeline in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

In a shake-up at BP, “Lord” Browne resigned, Mr. Hayward, took over, and here we are today.

Expert observers and journalists are saying that other companies used similar accidents as a wake-up call, and put really strong safety measures in place. Exxon Mobil, for example, transformed its whole corporate culture in the wake of the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. It hasn’t had a serious accident since.

BP, by comparison, has been cited with 760 “egregious willful” safety violations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the last four years alone. (Mr. Hayward denied that these had happened on his watch, but the facts say otherwise.)

Right now, BP is making more new pledges for the future. Don’t hold your breath.

The Gulf Between Us

The Gulf Between Us
Will this be a turning point?

The Man Who Saw It First
While the world was watching the volcano in Iceland, he was seeing a bigger disaster.

My Trip to the Gulf Coast
Trying to enlist as a volunteer.
1: Back to the Beach
2: The Wildlife Refuges
3: Last Try
4: The Scoop on Becoming a Volunteer

Rescuing the Hermit Crabs
Not just the ‘majestic’ animals.

BP's "Promise"
What they said ... (and when they said it).

The Nigerian Gulf
Out of sight, out of mind.

The Biggest Eco-Disaster?
Check out some others.

"A Gulf Lies Between Us"
The bigger gulf that we need to heal.

All Eyes on the Gulf
Hurricane Katrina volunteers reunite to help.

How You Can Help -- Part One
An opportunity to make a real difference.

How You Can Help -- Part Two
Thinking back to other crises.

The Last Word
Exchanging beauty for profit.

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