Activists handed out toxic bottled water from Bhopal to highlight the plight of locals still suffering 25 years after the world’s largest industrial disaster. The protesters converged on Midland-based Dow Chemical’s offices near London on 14 July 2009. In 2001 Dow purchased Union Carbide, the company that owned the pesticide plant that leaked cyanide gas, immediately killing more than 3,500 people. [Union Carbide sold its Indian subsidiary Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL), which had operated the Bhopal plant, in 1994. Subsequently UCIL changed its name to Eveready Industries India Ltd].
Satinath 'Sathyu' Sarangi, managing trustee of the Sambhavna Clinic
Dow has refused to accept liability for the clean-up of toxic waste from the plant, which activists contend is still contaminating local groundwater, vegetables, and breast milk.
The action, organisers said, was designed to highlight the contradiction between Dow’s recent water-themed public relations efforts and its refusal to address the water contamination issues at its own property. In March 2009, Dow declared that it was partnering with non-profit organizations and businesses to address drinking water problems in developing countries.
In 27 June 2009, members of the U.S. Congress asked Dow to clean up soil and groundwater contamination around its Bhopal plant and address the needs of people affected by the pollution.
According to the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal, 120,000-150,000 people are chronically ill as a result of the accident and ongoing contamination.
The Bhopal Medical Appeal and the Yes Men activist group have launched “B’eau-Pal” water to mark the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal catastrophe. The bottle was designed with the pro-bono help from top London creative firm Kennedy Monk.
Five years ago, the Yes Men impersonated Dow Chemical live on BBC World Television and announced that after 20 years, the company was finally going to clean up its mess in Bhopal. That hoax, which temporarily knocked two billion dollars off Dow’s share price, is featured in the Yes Men’s new movie, The Yes Men Fix The World.
Dow spokesman Scot Wheeler told AFP that the firm had “deep sympathy” for Bhopal victims but that protests against it were “wholly misdirected and are inappropriate”. “Union Carbide Corporation and Union Carbide India Limited settled their liability for the gas release tragedy with the government of India in 1989 and paid 470 million dollars to the government of India,” he said, adding that the plant was now owned by the state government of Madhya Pradesh. [Read Dow's official Bhopal statement, updated 2005]
According to the Bhopal Medical Appeal, Carbide “remains liable for the environmental devastation” as environmental damage was not included in the 1989 settlement, despite ongoing contamination issues.
Web sites: Bhopal Medical Appeal / Sambhavna Clinic ; B’eau-pal: Our Story ; The Yes Men ; Wikipedia – Yes Men | Bhopal Disaster
Sources: Michigan Messenger, 14 Jul 2009 ; AFP, 13 Jul 2009 ; Yes Men, 13 Jul 2009
The assertion that “Dow bought the pesticide plant run by Union Carbide ” in this Blog is simply not true. The company which survived in India after the Bhopal disaster is Eveready Industries India Ltd. which is not related to Dow.
The text mentioned has been corrected and a link to Dow’s official Bhopal statement on its web site has been provided. It should be noted though, that Union Carbide India was simply renamed as Eveready Industries India.
It is ironic that Dow makes a big play out of its Global Water Initiatives programme, but in India it shies away from any activity in Bhopal and is not even providing any real money – just loan guarantees – to those activities it is supporting.
re the above comment and Dow’s ownership of Union Carbide, this is from a Dow press release: “… The Bhopal site was owned and operated by UCIL, a separate, publicly traded Indian Company. With the approval of the Supreme Court, Union Carbide sold its interest in UCIL in 1994 and UCIL was renamed Eveready Industries India Limited – a company that continues to operate in India today and is the company that was involved in the tragedy.”
In fact, UCC and not just UCIL were liable for the 1984 disaster and Union Carbide is a 100% owned subsidiary of Dow with Dow executives sitting on its board. And, as they point out themselves, UCC sold its shares in UCIL 1n 1994 a full ten years AFTER the disaster.
Furthermore, the settlement paid out by UCC, to the disaster victims, DOES NOT cover liabilities arising from subsequent and continued contamination or the contamination of the groundwater.
In 1992, the Indian Government re-instated the charges against UCC. Union Carbide Corporation, and the CEO at the time, Warren Anderson, are wanted in India on CRIMINAL charges of culpable homicide.