BP’s Tony Hayward might be gone, but Gulf oil spill and angry public haven’t disappeared

Hayward leaving behind daunting tasks at BP

NEW YORK — For BP, removing Tony Hayward is just the beginning.

The departure of the man who became the company’s vilified public face of the Gulf oil spill changes little. His successor still faces what could be decades of cleaning up and paying for one of the worst environmental disasters in American history, experts said Sunday.

The new chief will also have the daunting task of persuading thousands of employees to work and think differently. He’ll need to mend fences with BP’s partners in the Gulf and convince the U.S. government and public that it can be trusted to safely do business here.

“I’m not sure if one person can do it all,” said John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil.

BP’s tarnished reputation can’t be repaired overnight, especially among lawmakers who want to ban the company from drilling another well in the U.S. But the first thing a new CEO could bring is a fresh start with residents, businesses and lawmakers along the Gulf Coast, Hofmeister said.

That could make Robert Dudley, who replaced Hayward as the head of BP’s oil response team in June, the logical choice as the new CEO. In the past month, Dudley has moved to get BP to pay damage claims from local businessmen more quickly and worked closely with the Coast Guard on BP’s efforts to cap the gushing well.

Dudley, an American, has also avoided the public relations gaffes that made Hayward a lightning rod for criticism. The British CEO’s comments made people even angrier at BP than they had been. Possibly the most damaging comment came in late May, when Hayward told reporters, “I want my life back,” as Gulf residents struggled with the effects of the spill.