18 years after the 1984 disaster, the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal is still poisoning people. In 1999 a Greenpeace study (PDF file) found that the drinking wells of nearby communities were contaminated by chemicals leaking from the abandoned and now-derelict site. Then, in February this year mercury, lead and organochlorines were found in the breast-milk of local women (Word Document). While Union Carbide and its new owner Dow Chemical continue to deny liability and refuse to pay for a clean-up, secret Carbide papers obtained last month during a New York court case show that the company knew as long ago as 1989 that its site was dangerously poisoned, and must have realised the risk to ground water and thus drinking supplies...but they never said a word.

NEW YORK, 4 DECEMBER Nine investment firms which collectively manage a total of $13 billion have sent a letter to Dow Chemical CEO Michael Parker and Chairman William Stavropoulos expressing their concern about the company's continued unwillingness to accept its responsibilities in Bhopal. Citing damage to Dow's reputation and the undermining of its "commitment to sustainability" (surely a polite jest) the companies wrote "We are also concerned about a potential judgment the company may face in a pending lawsuit in the U.S. over groundwater contamination from improper waste disposal at Union Carbide's Bhopal facility as well as ongoing litigation in Bhopal, India for compensation, environmental remediation, and medical rehabilitation." The letter was co-ordinated by Trillium Investment Management and signed by the As You Sow Foundation, Calvert Group, Domini Social Investments, Ethical Funds, Green Century Capital Management, Harrington Investments, Progressive Asset Management and Walden Asset Management. Read the letter here • Bhopal.Net report here

BHOPAL 3 DECEMBER Straight from the horse's mouth (Nity). Following to a meeting with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh this morning in Bhopal, we have a great present for the Bhopal survivors on the 18th anniversary. The Chief Minister has advised that all charges against the activists who participated in the attempt to contain dangerous waste in the derelict Union Carbide factory are to be dropped, and has apologised for the brutal behaviour of the police. He has also promised to cooperate with the activists. saying that we are working on this together and that he will take all necessary steps to grant permission for entry into the site for inspection, study or containment. We thank him for this welcome step forward, however, much remains to be done on the ground. We would like to see his active participation in making the polluter - Union Carbide aka Dow Chemical - clean up the contamination, and address the pending liabilities associated with medical and environmental rehabilitation.

The urgent action is therefore stood down. A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED, AND A BIG BHOPALI HUG.

BHOPAL, 2 DECEMBER: On 5th December, two important things are set to happen. First, the activists charged with "crimes" for participating in the attempted clean-up action on 25th November in Bhopal are due to appear in court in Bhopal. Second, a high-level meeting of MP government officials is to discuss the contamination issue and the action to be taken. PLEASE SEND FAXES URGENTLY to the CHIEF MINISTER and the CHIEF SECRETARY asking that: 1) Dow Chemical should be forced to pay for the clean-up 2) All charges against the activists should be dropped, and their efforts to clean up the factory should be recognised and supported 3) action should be taken against those police officials who abused their power (any doubts, watch this video) Click here for suggested text of your fax.

SOMEWHERE IN DEEPEST OZ, 2 DECEMBER 2002 There has been massive press coverage in Australia of the 25th November clean-up attempt at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal when 56 activists were arrested, among them several Australians. Feelings are running high against Dow Chemical/Union Carbide and the politically inept officials who arrested the clean-up team instead of helping it. Wild claims are circulating about the numbers likely to turn out in Bhopal's streets tomorrow. The Australian ( based on information we don't have!) says 100,000. Let's hope so sport. Beut if it's true.

Bombay, December 2, 2002: News just in from India on anniversary-eve. Survivors and supporters took samples of contaminated soil and water from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to Dow's Indian HQ in Mumbai (Bombay) and handed them over, together with more than 4,000 jhadoos (see right) collected in Bhopal, Chennai (Madras) and Trivandrum, Accepting the samples and the brooms on behalf of the company, Finance Director Anand Vohra told the ICJB delegation that he would personally recommend to his superiors "that action should be taken to alleviate the plight of gas-affected people in Bhopal." ICJB press release here.

Behold, messieurs dames, the rear end of Reserve Inspector P.S. Chouhan – the policeman who was caught on video on Monday by the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB), punching, kicking, slapping and beating people at the peaceful ICJB action in Bhopal. He didn't know he was being filmed, but his disgraceful behaviour is now on show to the world. Chouhan, and his superiors, should not be allowed to get away with it. But the irony is that police brutality – spurred on by the pique of a state government that last week was revealed to have been played for a fool by Union Carbide – is just one more of the ways in which Carbide (now Dow Chemical) continues to poison life in Bhopal. Bhopal.Net comment, plus pics, and ICJB video

BHOPAL 25 NOVEMBER This morning survivors and supporters entered the derelict Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to contain dangerous waste left lying in the open by the company. Bhopal police arrived and began shoving and beating survivors including women. Seventy people were arrested and later charged with criminal trespass. All have now been released. We have issued an urgent action appeal to protest against the brutality of the police, and in particular Reserve Inspector P.S. Chouhan. For the emerging story, plus what you can do right now, check here. Please make a powerful protest.

BHOPAL, 18 NOVEMBER. About two hundred children took over the ICJB action at Dow-Carbide's heavily-contaminated solar-evaporation ponds today. They were everywhere, and despite their cheerful attempts to disrupt the whole activity, the 30 odd Greenpeacers managed to put up signposts cautioning them about their toxic play-ground. After the warning signs were posted at all access points to the solar ponds, all the children and residents helped to install a billboard in English, Hindi and Urdu calling upon DOW to clean up the soil and and water. Activists from USA, UK, Australia, Netherlands, Thailand, Italy, Belgium, France, Brazil, Norway, and India have begun arriving here in Bhopal for a series of direct actions against DOW in India. Watch www.greenpeace.org and of course this website for constant updates on the campaign build-up here in Bhopal.

Dr George Smith of Crypt News, a publication famed for its lack of patience with fools, examines the question of why so many US military users have been visiting this website and concludes that the Pentagon has little or no idea of what it would really be like to face a gas attack should they, for instance, be ordered to invade Iraq. Read his article here. Our own investigations continue.