...Robert A. Malone...was tapped to run BP America Inc... [which] has been rocked by a series of lapses and accidents over the last 15 months that have tarnished the company's reputation. The troubles include the worst oil spill on the North Slope of Alaska; an explosion at BP's largest refinery, which killed 15 workers in Texas City, Tex... Mr. Malone will have to answer criticism that BP neglected basic safety rules, fostered a culture of excessive risk-taking and failed to invest enough in critical infrastructure... "The United States has been BP's weak spot, both in terms of its safety record and on poor maintenance issues," said Lanny Pendill, an analyst at Edward Jones in St. Louis. "There's also been a lack of oversight."