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News :: Civil & Human Rights |
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Dow Chemicals Urged to Clean Up Bhopal |
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by Ra Ravishankar
Email: ravishan (nospam) uiuc.edu (unverified!) |
02 Dec 2004
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One day before the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal chemical disaster, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Kahn, joined other environmental legal and human rights experts to demand that Dow Chemicals clean up the still highly toxic site, reimburse families for medical costs, and face criminal trial in India once and for all. |
INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE IN BHOPAL
www.bhopal.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Shayna Samuels, 718-541-4786 (or) Glenn Turner, 917-817-3396
Dow Chemical Urged to Clean Up Bhopal and Face Criminal Trial in India 20 Years After Disaster Killed Thousands
More than 20,000 Still Drinking Contaminated Water, Suffering from Birth Defects and Other Serious Illnesses, and Unable to Pay High Costs of Medical Bills.
Amnesty International, Legal Experts and Bhopal Survivors Demand that Dow Be Held Accountable for Human Rights Violations.
(Wednesday, December 1, 2004) - One day before the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal chemical disaster, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Kahn, joined other environmental, legal and human rights experts to demand that Dow Chemical clean up the still highly toxic site, reimburse families for medical costs, and face criminal trial in India once and for all.
"Bhopal was the greatest human rights disaster arising from corporate negligence," said Kahn. "Companies have elected jurisdictions where governments are not strong enough, willing or able enough to enforce regulations. The legal gap that allows this to happen must be closed so that a disaster like Bhopal is not repeated."
Twenty years ago at midnight on December 2, 1984 twenty-seven tons of lethal gases leaked from Union Carbide's pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, immediately killing 8,000 people and poisoning thousands of others. Today at least 150,000 people, including children born to parents who survived the disaster, are suffering from exposure-related health effects such as cancer, neurological damage, chaotic menstrual cycles and mental illness. Over 20,000 people are forced to drink water contaminated with unsafe levels of mercury, carbon tetrachloride and other persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals.
Amnesty released a report this week outlining how human rights have been violated on a massive scale in Bhopal, including people's rights to life and health. The report examines responsibilities of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), now owned by Dow Chemical, for storing ultra-hazardous chemicals in bulk; failing to set up an emergency plan to warn local residents; ignoring warnings about the possibility of a chemical reaction similar to that which caused the leak; and withholding information critical to the medical treatment of the victims.
Amnesty also highlights the obligations of the Indian authorities for failing to protect their citizens both before and after the disaster. According to the report, state and central government officials were aware that the plant used hazardous materials, but did not take adequate steps to assess the risks to the local community. Then, without consulting the victims, the Indian government agreed to a modest financial settlement with UCC and cleared the company from legal liability.
Other experts pointed out that the Bhopal case highlights general issues of chemical security that could impact the United States or other countries at any time. "In addition to accidents, we now face terrorism as a new way that chemical plants could be turned into weapons of mass destruction," said Rick Hind, Legislative Director of the Greenpeace Toxics Campaign. "Since 2001 Congress has failed to adopt legislation to prevent chemical plant disasters. However, chemical security legislation will be re-introduced in the beginning of 2005."
In addition to the new Amnesty International report, a number of other events are taking place to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal atrocity and put pressure on Dow to comply with the survivors' demands. Some of these activities are listed below:
Pending Lawsuit in New York -- A federal class action lawsuit is pending in New York against Union Carbide and former CEO Warren Anderson for environmental remediation of the Bhopal plant and clean-up of the drinking water supply of at least sixteen neighborhoods near the plant. "The legal struggle to hold Union Carbide accountable for its conduct in Bhopal continues," said Rajan Sharma, the lead attorney representing the survivors. "We have prevailed twice before in the U.S. Court of Appeals."
New Book: Trespass Against Us: Dow Chemical and the Toxic Century (advance copies available - more info at www.trespassagainstus.com) -- A new book by Jack Doyle released this week chronicles the last century of Dow Chemical's toxic chemical production, including Agent Orange, Dioxin, the pesticide Dursban, Silicone breast implants, and the acquisition of Union Carbide's still-unresolved Bhopal legacy. As Gary Cohen, Executive Director of the Environmental Health Fund says: "Trespass Against Us exposes the dark truth of how Dow Chemical's poisons have invaded every aspect of our lives. For more than 100 years, Dow has operated under a business model where people and their health are expendable."
Dow Shareholder Resolution -- Boston Common Asset Management filed a shareholder resolution with Dow Chemical addressing its liability for the Bhopal disaster requesting that Dow quantify and analyze the impacts that the Bhopal disaster may reasonably pose to the company, its reputation, its finances, and its expansion elsewhere. The resolution was filed on behalf of the Brethren Benefit Trust, Inc. and other investors including the Grand Rapids Dominicans, the Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of Detroit and the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Notre Dame. In 2004, institutional investors who supported the call for a report by Dow on these issues included CalPERS and NYCERS. Boston Common expects similar support from these types of investors in 2005.
Release of four new documentaries -- This week four new documentaries will be aired that highlight the ongoing suffering of the people of Bhopal and the demands being made on Dow Chemical. "One Night in Bhopal" will air tonight (Dec.1) on BBC. "Bhopal - The Search for Justice" will be aired on Canadian Broadcast Corporation on Dec. 2. "Litigating Disaster" aired on Link TV on November 30, and "Twenty Years Without Justice: The Bhopal Chemical Disaster" is screening on the web (http://bhopal.strategicvideo.net)
and on college campuses.
Protests in Bhopal -- The survivors in Bhopal have organized events over four days (Dec. 1-4) to commemorate those who have died and fight for the ones who are living. Events include a commemoration program, a media tour of the factory site, and a candlelight vigil with relatives of people carrying photos of those who died. There will also be a rally with more than 3,000 survivors expected to attend.
Teach-Ins and Vigils at Over 60 U.S. Colleges Nationwide -- Students at over 60 U.S. colleges and universities will be organizing protests, vigils, documentary screenings and other events to demand that Dow resolve its responsibilities in Bhopal. "Students are outraged," said Ryan Bodanyi, ICJB's Student Coordinator. "They don't want their colleges and universities accepting money from a corporation that maintains its profit margins by poisoning people and blithely standing aside as they suffer. Dow-Carbide should expect these protests to continue and intensify." (Details at www.studentsforbhopal.org).
Congressional Resolution Introduced By Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) -- In October Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced a resolution demanding clean-up in Bhopal, economic and medical assistance for victims, and compliance with international law. "This 1984 Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster is widely regarded as the worst peacetime environmental catastrophe in world history, and this important resolution expresses the commitment of the United States Congress to work with the Government of India and others to ensure that Union Carbide provides environmental and medical rehabilitation in Bhopal and is held responsible for its actions," said Congressman Pallone.
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For local events, organized by the South Asian Collective (http://www.uiuc.edu/ro/SAC), see http://www.ucimc.org/newswire/display/22270/index.php |
See also:
http://www.bhopal.net
http://www.studentsforbhopal.org
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This work is in the public domain |
