DOW ADDRESSES BHOPAL OUTRAGE, EXPLAINS POSITION
Anthony Lámanche | 03.12.2002 13:25
In response to growing public outrage over its handling of the Bhopal disaster's legacy, Dow Chemical has issued a statement explaining why it is unable to more actively address the problem.
"We are being portrayed as a heartless giant which doesn't care about the 20,000 lives lost due to Bhopal over the years," said Dow President and CEO Michael D. Parker. "But this
just isn't true. Many individuals within Dow feel tremendous sorrow about the Bhopal disaster, and many individuals within Dow would like the corporation to admit its responsibility, so that the public can then decide on the best course of action, as is appropriate in any democracy.
"Unfortunately, we have responsibilities to our shareholders and our industry colleagues that make action on Bhopal impossible. And being clear about this has been a very big step."
On December 3, 1984, Union Carbide--now part of Dow--accidentally killed 5,000 residents of Bhopal, India, when its pesticide plant sprung a leak. It abandoned the plant without cleaning it up, and since then, an estimated 15,000 more people have died from complications, most resulting from chemicals released into the groundwater.
Although legal investigations have consistently pinpointed Union Carbide as culprit, both Union Carbide and Dow have had to publicly deny these findings. After the accident, Union Carbide compensated victims' families between US$300 and US$500 per victim.
"We understand the anger and hurt," said Dow Spokesperson Bob Questra. "But Dow does not and cannot acknowledge responsibility. If we did, not only would we be required to expend many billions of dollars on cleanup and compensation--much worse, the public could then point to Dow as a precedent in other big cases. 'They took
responsibility; why can't you?' Amoco, BP, Shell, and Exxon all have ongoing problems that would just get much worse. We are unable to set this precedent for ourselves and the industry, much as we would like to see the issue resolved in a humane and satisfying way."
Shareholders reacted to the Dow statement with enthusiasm. "I'm happy that Dow is being clear about its aims," said Panaline Boneril, who owns 10,000 shares, "because Bhopal is a recurrent problem that's clogging our value chain and ultimately keeping the share price from expressing its full potential. Although a real solution is not immediately possible because of Dow's commitments to the larger industry issues, there is new hope in management's exceptional new clarity on the matter." "It's a slow process," said Questra. "We must learn bit by bit to meet this challenge head-on. For now, this means
acknowledging that much as it pains us, our prime responsibilities are to the people who own Dow shares, and to the industry as a whole. We simply cannot do anything at this moment for the people of Bhopal."
Dow Chemical is a chemical products and services company devoted to bringing its customers a wide range of chemicals. It furnishes solutions for the agriculture, electronics, manufacturing, and oil and gas industries, including well-known products like Styrofoam, DDT, and Agent Orange, as well as lesser-known brands like Inspire, Retain, Eliminator, Quash, and Woodstalk. For more on the Bhopal catastrophe, please visit Dow at
http://www.dow-chemical.com/
Contact:
press@dow-chemical.com
"We are being portrayed as a heartless giant which doesn't care about the 20,000 lives lost due to Bhopal over the years," said Dow President and CEO Michael D. Parker. "But this
just isn't true. Many individuals within Dow feel tremendous sorrow about the Bhopal disaster, and many individuals within Dow would like the corporation to admit its responsibility, so that the public can then decide on the best course of action, as is appropriate in any democracy.
"Unfortunately, we have responsibilities to our shareholders and our industry colleagues that make action on Bhopal impossible. And being clear about this has been a very big step."
On December 3, 1984, Union Carbide--now part of Dow--accidentally killed 5,000 residents of Bhopal, India, when its pesticide plant sprung a leak. It abandoned the plant without cleaning it up, and since then, an estimated 15,000 more people have died from complications, most resulting from chemicals released into the groundwater.
Although legal investigations have consistently pinpointed Union Carbide as culprit, both Union Carbide and Dow have had to publicly deny these findings. After the accident, Union Carbide compensated victims' families between US$300 and US$500 per victim.
"We understand the anger and hurt," said Dow Spokesperson Bob Questra. "But Dow does not and cannot acknowledge responsibility. If we did, not only would we be required to expend many billions of dollars on cleanup and compensation--much worse, the public could then point to Dow as a precedent in other big cases. 'They took
responsibility; why can't you?' Amoco, BP, Shell, and Exxon all have ongoing problems that would just get much worse. We are unable to set this precedent for ourselves and the industry, much as we would like to see the issue resolved in a humane and satisfying way."
Shareholders reacted to the Dow statement with enthusiasm. "I'm happy that Dow is being clear about its aims," said Panaline Boneril, who owns 10,000 shares, "because Bhopal is a recurrent problem that's clogging our value chain and ultimately keeping the share price from expressing its full potential. Although a real solution is not immediately possible because of Dow's commitments to the larger industry issues, there is new hope in management's exceptional new clarity on the matter." "It's a slow process," said Questra. "We must learn bit by bit to meet this challenge head-on. For now, this means
acknowledging that much as it pains us, our prime responsibilities are to the people who own Dow shares, and to the industry as a whole. We simply cannot do anything at this moment for the people of Bhopal."
Dow Chemical is a chemical products and services company devoted to bringing its customers a wide range of chemicals. It furnishes solutions for the agriculture, electronics, manufacturing, and oil and gas industries, including well-known products like Styrofoam, DDT, and Agent Orange, as well as lesser-known brands like Inspire, Retain, Eliminator, Quash, and Woodstalk. For more on the Bhopal catastrophe, please visit Dow at
http://www.dow-chemical.com/ Contact:
press@dow-chemical.com
Anthony Lámanche
e-mail:
press@dow-chemical.com
Homepage:
http://www.dow-chemical.com
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Justice for the victims of Bhopal
03.12.2002 18:03
Corporate Watch Newsletter Issue 10 August-September 2002
Bhopal 18 years on
It’s nearly 18 years since 8,000 people died in the Indian city of Bhopal after a leak from the Union Carbide pesticide plant. But while a recent court ruling means ex-chairman Warren Anderson may at last face justice, victums of the disaster continue to struggle for a fair settlement from Carbide’s new owners Dow; a company with an unsavoury reputation of its own.
On the morning of December 3rd 1984 the people of Bhopal suffered an almost biblical disaster. A leak of more than 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) from the Union Carbide chemical plant instantly killed over 2,000 people. Many more died in the ensuing months, with the total number of deaths estimated at 20,000. In total over half a million people were affected by the gas - paying the price for the low wages and poor health and safety regulations that originally attracted Carbide to the city. Though Union Carbide admitted responsibility, the Indian Government dropped criminal charges against the company and settled for $470 million compensation, one sixth of the $3 billion that had been sought. Many of those affected by the disaster still rely on government handouts amounting to just $12 a month and are still living with chronic pain and other symptoms.
Good news came in August of this year when a court in Bhopal upheld a charge of culpable homicide against former head of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson. The charge related to the deaths of 14,000 people and carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Recently, attempts have been made by the Indian foreign ministry to reduce the charge to ‘hurt by negligence’ - which carries a two year sentence - but local magistrates refused to do so. Mr Anderson, now 80, has been keeping a very low profile in recent years, so much so that that the US government claimed he was missing. This didn’t stop him being tracked down by a Greenpeace US campaigner two days after the recent court ruling upheld charges against him. When confronted by a copy of the warrant for his arrest Mr Anderson ran back into his house denying his identity. However, an end to the struggle isn’t necessarily in sight. For Anderson to face trial the Indian government must initiate extradition proceedings, which they appear unwilling to do for fear of harming relations with the US.
Abandoned by their own government, people have taken matters into their own hands - forming a group called the National Campaign for Justice in Bhopal. The group are targetting the Indian government to begin extradition proceedings on Mr Anderson but are increasingly turning their attention to Dow Chemicals who took over Union Carbide in 2001. The company, one of the largest producers of chemicals in the world, it has an appalling pollution record. Recently however, Dow has moved on to more sophisticated forms of pollution through its work in biotechnology. In 2001 the company acquired Cargill Hybrid Seeds and now has two genetically modified products on the market. Worryingly they intend to take the technology further and are experimenting with varieties of corn which produce plastics or medical products. Campaigners have highlighted the dangers of these varieties cross pollinating with food crops which could lead to hazardous materials entering the food chain.
More information on Dow and the activities of the Bhopal Justice Campaign can be found at
http://www.bhopal.net
Homepage:
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/newsletter/issue10/newsletter4.htm
Activists Arrested, Beaten by Bhopal Police
03.12.2002 18:17
Source: Bhopal Plan/Devika
Posted: November 25, 2002
Sathianath Sarangi, Nityanand Jayaraman, Ananthapadmanabhan,Adarsh Vansay, Shailendra Yeshwant, two reporters from an independent European media and 3 local activists were beaten this morning by the local police at Bhopal .They were then taken taken to the Shajahanabad police station and are being detained there as I write this.
They have NOT BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THE CHARGES / GROUNDS OF ARREST and HAVE NOT BEEN SERVED WITH AN ARREST MEMO, which they are bound to do under law. This is gross abuse of power by the police and their action amounts to blatant violation of human rights.
All the activists who are being detained have been fighting for justice for the victims of the diastrous gas leak from the factory of Union Carbide in 1984. The action of the police appears to be an attempt to intimidate them and stifle the movement for justice to tthe survivors and victims of the gas leak disaster.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
Please send faxes or telegrams in protest of the high handed behaviour of the police and illegal detention of the activists to:
1. Mr.Digvijay Singh
Chief Minister of Madhyapradesh
Vallabh Bhavan
Bhopal
Madhya Pradesh
Ph: 0755 550906
Fax: 0755 540501
2. The IG of Police Bhopal
Fax: 0755 540922
3. Bahi Mahaveer
The Governor of Bhopal
Fax: 0755 554 711
Telephone: 0755 540350
4. The National Human Rights Commission
Sardar Patel Bhavan
Samsad Marg
New Delhi- 110 001 Telephone: 011 3340891 and 3347065 Fax: 011 334 0016
5. The State Human Rights Commission
Paryavas Bhavan
Arera Hills
Jail Road
Bhopal 462 001
Fax no:-0755 574028
E-mail :-
You may need to add a 2 before the Bhopal nos if the country wide change in telephone nos is in force already. The country code ( 91) should be prefixed to the nos by those of you outside India.
CIRCULATE the above information as widely as possible.
Contact numbers and e-mail id for queries:
Devika at
Please keep us informed about your action.
Devika
From CorpWatch USA
Homepage:
http://www.corpwatch.org/action/PAA.jsp?articleid=4970
beyond belief...
03.12.2002 19:26
they try and say they are not a "heartless giant", but then give such worthless, heartless, jargon-laden reasonings, such as: "responsibilities to investors" and my favourite, that bhopal has been "clogging the value chain", so best not deal with it. what the fuck is that supposed to mean? how does that justify being a scofflaw? the entire article shows they in fact DO NOT CARE, and are very much a heartless giant, looking desperately for any possible way of avoiding responsibility. this is such typical behavior for corporate bastards and psychopaths. if you're powerful, you can get away with anything...
this thing here