Press release - March 28, 2001
TAMIL NADU, India — Appalled by the insensitivity and unresponsiveness of the management of Hindutan Lever's thermometer factory regarding the dumping of deadly mercury wastes in Kodaikanal, citizens' groups in Kodaikanal have drawn support from human rights and environmental organisations throughout Tamilnadu to launch the Tamilnadu Alliance Against Mercury.
On 7 March, residents of Kodaikanal and numerous environmental
groups exposed an illegal dumpsite containing 15 tons of
mercury-containing broken thermometers from Hindustan Lever's
mercury thermometer factory in Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu. After
initially denying the reports, Hindustan Lever promptly began a
cover up PR exercise that is ongoing to dismiss the 15-ton
poisonous dump as the result of a possible "human error."
"It's now five days since we exposed Hindustan Lever's illegal
dumpsite in Kodai. They still haven't acknowledged that they dumped
the wastes, leave alone apologise or clean up," said Navroz Mody,
Greenpeace campaign director. "They are more concerned about their
image and hushing it up than they are about protecting the lives of
people and the quality of the environment."
The Tamilnadu Alliance Against Mercury was formed after
Hindustan Lever, a majority owned subsidiary of Anglodutch
multinational Unilever, failed to provide information regarding its
past shipments of potentially mercury-contaminated crushed glass
and broken thermometers. On 12 March, more than 30 groups from all
over Tamilnadu gathered in Kodaikanal to discuss remedies to
Lever's illegal dumping.
The groups are working on reports from workers that many such
shipments may have been sent by the factory to different parts of
Tamilnadu. Given the toxicity of mercury and its ability to
contaminate water, the groups are concerned that populations and
the environment may unknowingly be victimised by Hindustan Lever's
poisons.
"Unilever is behaving like any multinational by covering up,
lying, and hoping that this will die down. We're surprised how the
individuals in Unilever can live this down that their inaction may
cause the poisoning of unknown masses," said R. Kannan of Palni
Hills Conservation Council.
In the absence of any cooperation from the authorities or the
company in identifying and locating the illegal mercury waste
dumpsites spread throughout Tamilnadu, the Tamilnadu Alliance
Against Mercury will.