Greenpeace Gives Dow Chemical Taste of Bhopal Waste

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http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2003/2003-01-07-04.asp

 

 

Greenpeace Gives Dow Chemical Taste of Bhopal Waste

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, January 7, 2003 (ENS) - Greenpeace and survivors of the

world's worst industrial disaster in Bhopal, India today dumped poisonous waste

collected from the disaster scene at the largest European operation of Dow

Chemical, Dow Benelux in the southern Dutch town of Terneuzen. About 20

activists were arrested.

Ten Greenpeace activists, including John Passacantando, executive director of

Greenpeace in the United States, and Rashida Bi, leader of the Bhopal Gas Victim

Women's Union, unloaded 250 kilograms of the waste. Three activists abseiled

down the Dow Benelux building and hung eight huge photographs depicting Bhopal

and a banner which called on Dow to clean up Bhopal.

Greenpeace activists on their way to Dow headquarters in the Netherlands to

deliver waste from the Bhopal site in India (Photos courtesy Greenpeace/Bas

Beent Jes )Contained in seven barrels, the waste was abandoned in Bhopal after

the release of poisonous gas in 1984, and it has been poisoning people there.

The waste was transported to Europe in the Greenpeace ship " Arctic Sunrise. "

The hazardous waste returned today is a tiny part of the hundreds of tons that

have been strewn around the derelict Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal.

Dow acquired Union Carbide in February 2001.

In 1984 a toxic gas leak at the plant killed 8,000 people and injured half a

million. No one has accepted responsibility for the waste or cleaned up the

site.

In November, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation said water near the factory, where

some 20,000 people live, is not safe to drink.

Also in November, Dow Chemical was forced by a U.S. court to release internal

Union Carbide documents showing safety features at Bhopal were eliminated in

order to save money, the British journal " New Scientist " reports. Union Carbide

documents revealed that by 1989, the company suspected that the factory grounds

were contaminated by hazardous chemicals.

" For 18 years, chemicals have leaked into the soil and ground water in and

around the factory site and have been poisoning people who survived the gas

leak. Today, the death toll stands at 20,000 and is rising every day. Children

born to survivors are suffering health problems and 150,000 people are in urgent

need of medical attention, " Greenpeace says.

Greenpeace activists deliver waste barrel to Dow Benelux. A new report released

by Greenpeace today presents more evidence of contamination from chemical waste

dumped at the plant. Greenpeace scientists have identified numerous poisons in

the waste, including Sevin, the pesticide Union Carbide used to manufacture in

Bhopal, and BHC, a mixture of toxic chemicals that can damage the nervous

system, liver and kidneys and which can be passed from mother to child in the

womb.

" We will not let Dow bury this crime in India but will carry on returning

evidence to the company worldwide to confront it with its responsibilities

towards all those who are being poisoned because of its failure to accept its

pending liabilities in Bhopal, " said Ganesh Nochur, campaigner from Greenpeace

India onboard the " Arctic Sunrise. "

In November 2002, activists from Greenpeace and the International Campaign for

Justice in Bhopal were arrested when they attempted to start cleaning up the

toxic waste in Bhopal. On December 2nd 2002, they returned samples of

contaminated soil and water from around the plant to Dow's Indian headquarters

in Bombay.

Dow is now suing the Bhopal survivors and Greenpeace for loss of working time

allegedly incurred by this non-violent direct action.

The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal is calling on Dow to clean up

the site, provide people with clean drinking water, long term medical care and

full compensation.

The campaign is urging international legislation to be put in place to make sure

companies are held responsible for the pollution or accidents their operations

cause.

 

 

 

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Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2002.

 

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