DOW AND OUT IN BHOPAL

"It took some time, but we managed this quickly, and we can say that we are providing 100% clean water [in Bhopal]. There was nothing hazardous for human lives there." - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on the 25th anniversary of the world's worst industrial disaster at Bhopal.

Nothing Tony Blair has ever said about the Iraq invasion could come close to this level of outright bullshit, and no climate-change denier or flat earth society proponent could speak so much in the face of reality or scientific evidence.

On December 3rd 1984, the Union Carbide plant at Bhopal leaked 27 tonnes of highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas - used to manufacture the pesticide Sevin – killing some 8-10,000 within three days, leading to a current death toll of 23,000, and some 150,000 are left with chronic conditions, such as neurological, organ and chromosomal damage; tuberculosis, cancer and other diseases. One in 25 babies born in the area have congenital defects. The company has never been brought to justice for it.

As the site was never cleaned up, the toxins have seeped into the water system, and now analyses commissioned by the Bhopal Medical Appeal have shown that the soil has at least 16 contaminants at levels greatly exceeding WHO levels, including Carbon Tetrachloride toxicity at more than 2400 times the 'safe' level – which has actually risen by 270% in the past year as the chemicals leech further into the soil. The toxins in the ground water are known carcinogens and neurotoxins, particularly harmful to children and the unborn.

It's been left to the independently run, internationally funded Sambhavna Clinic – set up in 1996 – to treat the victims, which sees 150 people every day for conditions such as liver disease, anaemia and all manner of organ damage. The clinic constantly sees new victims - those born with defects, 25 years later.

The other side to this whole sordid story is the efforts that Union Carbide – and its now parent company, Dow Chemicals – as well as the US Government and Chamber Of Commerce, have gone to avoid cleaning up the site, offering due compensation or facing criminal charges.

The morning after the disaster there was clearly one thing on Union Carbide's mind – how they could get away with this scot-free. As the relief effort began in the immediate aftermath, emergency medical efforts were hampered by UC not disclosing what toxic chemicals had been unleashed. In the months that followed a US Court Judge demanded that UC put between $5-10 million into emergency medical funds - eventually $5 million went to the Red Cross.

As a settlement pay-out for the victims, UC first offered $100 million – yet had the accident happened in the US, the liability would have been closer to $10bn. In 1989 UC paid a $470 million settlement – with a maximum of $1000 going to victims – and at the same time reclaiming the $5 million they gave the Red Cross, forcing them to close all their hospitals in Bhopal. By 1989 UC had paid $50 million on lawyers and an unknown amount to PR company Burson Marsteller to worm out of the fiasco. And all this was before any money had been spent cleaning up the site, which they claimed was the responsibility of the local government.

Straight away criminal proceedings began against UC, with charges being brought against the CEO of UC, Warren Anderson, and several key leaders of UC India and those running the plant. Anderson and others were arrested, but he was bailed after four days (for the non-bailable offence of culpable homicide) – under promise to return when summonsed, but was flown out by an Indian State plane and hasn't returned since. Anderson was summonsed again in 1987 in a case brought by the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation, with further ignored summonses in the years that followed. 

Finally in 2003 the Indian Govt attempted to extradite Anderson, but Freedom Of Information requests by US Bhopal campaigners have shown the efforts the US Govt have gone to prevent Anderson being extradited, or Bhopal having any impact on US international corporate activity. The US Chamber Of Commerce hired a 'who's who of high-powered law firms' to protect UC and Anderson. Attempts to extradite Anderson again resumed this year, meanwhile he remains a 'fugitive', despite his New York address being well known.

There has been a week of events in Bhopal to commemorate the disaster, including continual vigils and processions. In London yesterday a choir gathered at Trafalgar Square, and there were other events and demos around the world.

The Bhopal Medical Appeal and Amnesty have been touring Europe in a bus since October travelling through seven countries from Sweden down to Italy, stopping off at Dow Chemicals plants, visiting campus's, human rights centres, and speaking to MEPs. The bus is due back in Britain soon, and will tour Britain next year visiting festivals, town centres and anything it can fit in – see http://bhopalbus.com

* See also SchNEWS 238, 580, 637

* For info about the UK-based International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal see http://bhopal.net , for more about the Medical Appeal see http://bhopal.org

* To read the BMA water report see http://water.bhopal.org