ANCHORAGE, Alaska — BP PLC is considering ending an ombudman’s office launched to handle whistleblower complaints.
The ombudman’s office was created 4 years ago after major oil spills at Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay field, which is operated by BP. The aim was to give U.S. employees of the London-based oil company a new way to report problems.
The ombudsman, retired federal judge Stanley Sporkin, provides confidential access to a person outside BP who can launch third-party investigations.
BP says it may bring the program in-house, perhaps as early as June.
Steve Rinehart, a company spokesman in Alaska, says BP hasn’t made any decisions yet.