John Hockenberry: Good morning Darryl
Darryl Willis: Good morning John.
JH: Thanks so much for being on the program. I want to begin with a story that’s in The New York Times today, because we want to get a company response. BP is reportedly starting a controversial drilling project called Liberty, three miles off the coast of Alaska. It’s a record setting two miles under the sea and then six to eight miles horizontal to tap into a huge 100 million barrel reservoir. What would you say to the people of Alaska to reassure them that the mistakes in the Gulf will not be made in Alaska?
DW: John, I’m not familiar with the – I’ve been traveling up and down the Gulf coast and I am not familiar with that project at all. All I can tell you is that I know that BP’s commitment is to safe and reliable operations and that will always be our commitment.
JH: And as the face of BP you are really the person to speak to all Americans about all of BP projects being safe and not liable to what happened with the deepwater horizon, right?
DW: I am actually the person that’s responsible for the on the ground response in regard to the claims along the gulf coast.
JH: Then what happened yesterday with the robot that changed this containment cap situation and caused the oil to spill full bore into the Gulf yesterday, has that been corrected?
DW: My understanding, and again, I watch the news like everyone else is, because I’ve been traveling between Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi and focused on claims. My understanding of watching the news last night is that the cap has been placed back on the well
JH: How many technical questions do you get from people who need claims, who want to be compensated and who have heard all about the $20 billion fund that BP has put aside.
DW: I get lots of questions. I was in Tallahassee Florida yesterday for a meeting… and there are lots of questions. Mainly around, are we going to do the right thing? And I am traveling around the Gulf Coast to assure the folks that I’m talking to that BP is going to do the right thing. We’re going to pay all legitimate claims, we’re going to clean up every drop of oil and we’re going to make sure anyone who’s been damaged or lost income as a result of this spill is compensated for their losses.
JH: Alright, Darryl, presumably the reason you’re involved now and maybe Tony Hayward is not quite so front and center in the cleanup operation and the response is that the company wants to get away from this sound here [audio montage]. It’s a montage of news reports over the last 60 odd or more days, but you’re the star of what BP wants to replace all that, listen [audio clip: BP commercial with Darryl Willis].
Are you finding that people are reassured by that style of message?
DW: What I can tell you is that I am an employee of BP, but I’m also a product of the Gulf coast. I’ve spent much of my life in Louisiana, but I’ve spent summers traveling in Alabama and Florida and I get the challenges we’re facing because of the experiences with hurricanes, most recently Katrina. And I want to make sure that people who are having to go through a lot to get the resources they need to live their daily lives – and my commitment to them is real. And I try to reassure them as I travel from place to place that I’m going to be doing everything I can everyday to make sure that when they go into a claims office or call our claims phone number or go on to the website and present us with the documentation, that they can get their money. And that’s a real commitment I have and I try to reiterate it every where I go, every person I talk to, whether it’s Pensacola Florida or Bayou La Batre, Alabama or Venice, Louisiana, to let them know they’re going to be taken care of.
JH: For the claims process, certainly that makes a lot of sense. But certainly you’re vulnerable to the argument - and I just asked you about the project in Alaska and you said you didn’t know anything about it- that you’re someone put down there to deal with the locals who has really no access to the suites of power at BP and you’re just something of a stalling tactic.
DW: John, I’m actually an executive of BP, I’ve worked for BP for over 20 years; it’s the only company I’ve ever worked for. I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana. I’ve held roles in Houston. I’ve held roles in London. I’ve held roles in Russia. I am in this operation because I care about the people of the Gulf Coast. I understand the needs of the people of the Gulf Coast and I wanted to be part of the solution. My focus over the last 50 days has been on claims because that’s an area that’s got to be functioning properly for the folks on the Gulf Coast.
Celeste Headlee: Dealing with claims brings you face to face with some of the people who feel most betrayed and are the most angry with your company. I mean, if this is a personal thing for you, do you take it personally?
DW: I do not, I do not, because I understand the frustration. We’re dealing with an unprecedented spill and an unprecedented response and I’ll be the first to say that is has not been a perfect response, but everyday, everyday I’m working, everyday the folks are working on the spill response to get this right and to make things right for the people of the Gulf coast. That is our obligation and that is what we’re going to do.
JH: So you’re working on the claims in the Gulf. If something bad should to happen up in Alaska, should we expect BP to find some sort of mountain man with an SUV and a plaid shirt to talk to the people of Alaska about what’s going on?
DW: All I can tell you is that I am here because I care about the people of the Gulf Coast and I want to make sure that this company does the right thing for them.
