Greenpeace activists in several countries today joined 'AaCcTt:
Bhopal' (1), a global alliance of survivors´ groups from Bhopal and
their supporters in an international day of action to mark the 17th
anniversary of the world's worst industrial disaster. Activists
collected contaminated groundwater in Bhopal and personally
delivered it to several Dow offices and employees around the world
(2). The water bottles, labeled "Refreshingly Toxic Bhopal Water: -
Available only in Bhopal and other selected areas", highlight the
continued contamination of groundwater around the site of the
disaster, which is still used by up to 5,000 Bhopal families for
everyday needs.
The coalition called for renewed efforts to rehabilitate
survivors of the disaster, clean up of the residual contamination
at the abandoned site, Union Carbide and its officials to be held
accountable and for international laws to be developed to ensure
that corporations are made responsible for chemical accidents and
ongoing pollution worldwide.
On the midnight of December 2-3, 1984, over half a million
people were exposed to a cocktail of poison gases from Union
Carbide's pesticide factory. Around 7,500 people died in the
immediate wake of the disaster. According to local groups, the
current toll of dead has crossed 20,000 and a large number of
people continue to suffer from exposure-related chronic illnesses
of the lung, eyes, brain, heart, immune, hormonal, reproductive and
other systems and are in desperate need of medical attention.
After the accident, Union Carbide abandoned the factory and left
hundred of tonnes of chemical wastes which have seeped into the
drinking water source of the neighbouring communities. Many people
are forced to drink water that contains a cocktail of hazardous
chemicals including chlorinated benzenes, chloroform,
trichloroethene and carbon tetrachloride. A 1999 study by
Greenpeace found contamination levels to be far above US EPA
drinking water standards. Carbon tetrachloride was found at levels
682 times higher than standards in the US, chlorinated benzenes at
5-11 times higher, trichloroethene 50 times higher and chloroform
more than 20 times above US limits.
In February this year, Union Carbide managed to shed its name by
becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of US-based multinational Dow
Chemicals. Dow Chemicals purchased Union Carbide for a sum of 9.3
billion USD, thus creating the second largest chemical company in
the world.
"Dow not only bought Union Carbide´s assets but its liability
for the Bhopal tragedy and the environmental disaster which is
continuing today. It must take responsibility for its toxic legacy,
rehabilitate and fully compensate survivors and clean up the
hazardous mess that is still poisoning many people in Bhopal," said
Greenpeace campaigner, Hemant Babu.
In a significant development in the long history of litigation
to ensure the chemical industry takes responsibility for Bhopal, on
November 15th 2001, the US second circuit court has upheld an
appeal the environmental liabilities of Bhopal. Mrs. Rashida Bi,
President of the Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh,
Bhopal, an organization of women survivors, said: "The US court's
decision should make it difficult for Dow to wriggle out of its
responsibilities towards Bhopal but a lot depends on people raising
hell".
Mr. Balkrishna Namdeo, President of the Nirashrit Gas Peedit
Morcha, Bhopal, an organization of survivors in need of social
support, appealed for international efforts to stop the "continuing
disaster in Bhopal" and make Dow accept its long-term
responsibility towards the victims.
Notes: (1) 'AaCcTt:Bhopal' - 'Action against Corporate crime and Toxic terror:Bhopal' is an international alliance for justice in Bhopal and a toxic free future for all. The coalition includes local Bhopal survivors' organisations, Gas Peedit Nirasharit Morcha, Bhopal, Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal, Bhopal Group for Information and Action, National Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, Mumbai, The Other Media, New Delhi and Greenpeace. (2) Greenpeace activists delivered Bhopal water to Dow in Switzerland, Netherlands, Chile, Thailand, China (Hong Kong) and India (Bhopal and Bangalore). Greenpeace also protested at Dow facilities in Kerala, India, Argentina and the United States.