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Times of India exposes Dow’s double standards on Bhopal

Here is something for legal eagles of the government of India to chew on: while Dow Chemical Company denies any responsibility for damages caused by Union Carbide in Bhopal, it has taken over all liability of Carbide for fighting out over 75,000 asbestos related law suits in the US. Dow/Carbide expects to incur liability costs of $839 million in the coming years. They have already spent a whopping $687 million in litigation costs, besides paying out $1,480 million to an unspecified number of claimants till date. Carbide became a subsidiary of Dow through a merger in 2001.

These facts, gleaned from the mandatory annual filing (Form 10-k) for 2009 submitted by Dow to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the US on February 19, 2010, clearly establish that Dow has taken over Union Carbide liabilities for bodily damages caused by the latter’s commercial activities. In the case of Bhopal, Dow has consistently claimed that it had nothing to do with the massive gas leak disaster of December 3, 1984 in the pesticide plant run by Union Carbide.

In 1994, Union Carbide (USA) sold off its interest of 50.9% in Union Carbide (India) to Macleod Russel (India) which renamed it as Eveready Industries India. According to Dow, its connection with UCIL doesn’t exist because it took over the parent company only in 2001. But, according to N D Jaiprakash, one of the petitioners in the lawsuits on Bhopal, Union Carbide (USA) had already been declared an absconder in 1992 and it is named in the chargesheet filed by the Union government. “All criminal liability, as also liability for clean up of contamination caused by Carbide prior to disaster naturally passes to Dow,” he explains.

In the US asbestosis cases, Dow is defending or settling the suits on behalf of Union Carbide as well as Carbide’s subsidiary Amchem Products Limited, which Carbide took over in 1977. In India, Dow is distancing itself from Union Carbide (USA), which in turn is washing its hands off its own subsidiary Union Carbide India Limited.

According to the latest Form 10-k filing by Dow, there were 75,030 unresolved asbestosis related claims at the end of 2009, including 24,146 claims against both Union Carbide and Amchem. There are over 50,000 individual claimants. Dow/Carbide settled 9,131 claims in 2009.

Of the $839 million estimated future liability reported in the 10-k filing, about 23% is for existing pending claims and 77% is for future claims. Asbestosis claims have arisen from thousands of people who were exposed to asbestos used by companies in the 1940s and 50s. Inhalation of asbestos fibres causes four categories of compensable diseases: mesothelioma; lung cancer; certain other cancers (colon-rectal, throat, intestines and stomach); and non-malignant conditions like lung damage. Claimants are seeking compensation for a variety of causes including negligent failure to warn, strict liability, breach of express and implied warranty, negligent infliction of emotional distress, enhanced risk of disease, medical monitoring, and civil conspiracy. A Supreme Court appointed committee said in 1991 that by 2015, about 265,000 people would have suffered damage from asbestos.

The 10-k filing of Dow also states that it is seeking recovery of $84 million from insurers for its asbestos liability, and $448 million as costs of defence and resolution of law suits in courts.

The similarities between the Bhopal disaster and asbestosis cases in US are striking in that both have led to
long term and severe bodily harm to people because of actions of the companies. But the attitude of Dow is strikingly different between US and India. In the US, Dow is responsible for what its subsidiaries (and their subsidiaries) did years ago. Hence, it is in the thick of litigation and forced to pay affected persons because of immense pressure from public opinion and judiciary. So much so that Dow admits that asbestos related claims, including future defence costs could have a material adverse impact on its consolidated financial position.

In India, Dow is denying any responsibility for what its subsidiary Union Carbide (USA) and its then subsidiary Union Carbide India did in the Bhopal tragedy in 1984.

SUBODH VARMA

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Bhopal gas victims still gasping for breath

TIMES OF INDIA [MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2004 02:35:53 AM]

NEW DELHI: On a cold wintry night of December 2-3, 15,000 people were killed in Bhopal when 41 tonnes of Methyl Isocyanate, a poisonous gas leaked from one of the tanks of Union Carbide Corporation’s plant.

An initial survey on the after-effects of the gas leak done by The Journal of Post-Graduate Medicine reported 1,07,249 were disabled and 60,000 others were severely disabled in the incident.

Another survey done later by an NGO said over 20,000 people were killed and 1.20 lakh were left chronically ill.

Though Union Carbide authorities paid Rs 470 crore to the Indian government in 1989 as the final compensation, the Centre and Madhya Pradesh government are still defying their constitutional obligation of providing basic treatment to the victims of the ghastly tragedy.

Several children born after the tragedy still carry the legacy of the deadly cocktail.

Dr S Murlidhar, a noted lawyer who has been fighting for the victims confirmed that children born after the tragedy are suffering from chest and respiratory problems as well as deformities.

However, what has been more painful for the victims is the overall neglect of the victims. A whopping Rs 300 crore was spent on setting up an advanced hospital in Bhopal to treat the victims.

Costly equipment and ultra advanced gadgets were imported to help diagnose the ailments. The Indian Council of Medical Research started a project to investigate the after-effects of the MIC leak.

But the black Italian marble hospital with fountains on its pathway remain out of bounds for the victims because authorities demand proof that they are suffering from the MIC leak.

Medicines, which had crossed their expiry dates were put on the hospital’s shelves. This forced patients to buy the costly medicines from nearby private drug stores.

The Comptroller and Auditor General’s reports later revealed that too much money was spent on programmes started for the gas victims. It is never too late to do justice or do good.

A high-powered committee has now been set up under the aegis of the Supreme Court to enforce and regulate treatment of of victims, who have been gasping for breath for two decades.

With proper accountability of the aid programmes, it is still possible to provide medical assistance to the victims and check more deaths.

For more information about the medical situation in Bhopal and the work of the free Sambhavna Clinic, please visit our sister site bhopal.org

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