They do reply fast:
2030 Dow Center
April 30, 2002Dear Concerned Citizen:
Thank you for sharing your concerns about the aftermath of the 1984 tragic gas release in Bhopal. We at Dow – along with all of our industry colleagues – were profoundly impacted by the tragedy. I for one can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news. Perhaps the only encouraging news to be gleaned from the tragedy is that it changed our industry forever, for the better.
I would like to share with you Dow’s perspective on Bhopal.
As you are aware, in February of 2001, Dow purchased the stock of Union Carbide.
Since that time, our subsidiary in India, Dow Chemical International, Pvt., Ltd. (DCIL) has been engaged in discussions with the leaders of the National Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (NCJB). The NCJB represents survivors of the 1984 tragedy. DCIL is seeking to better understand their concerns and, potentially, to define an appropriate way to direct a portion of our global philanthropic support towards providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Bhopal. Dow Chemical has also met with Greenpeace representatives regarding these matters. It is too early to know what the results of these discussions will be, but I want to assure you that we will continue to work with NCJB representatives and others interested in assisting the people of Bhopal. We are committed to doing so as a continuation of our long-standing practice of corporate giving and good corporate citizenship around the world, especially in the countries where we operate.
As you may know, immediately following the Bhopal tragedy, Union Carbide stepped forward to publicly accept moral responsibility for the gas release. In 1989, the Government of India and Union Carbide reached a $470 million settlement of all claims associated with the disaster – significantly more compensation than victims had been awarded in the past for this type of claim in Indian courts. The settlement was upheld by the Indian Supreme Court, which found this settlement to be “just, equitable and reasonable” and declared the matter closed. The plant site is owned today by the Indian government.
Assigning responsibility properly belongs to the courts, and as such, we believe Union Carbide has fulfilled its obligations in Bhopal. On a separate level, however, we are acutely aware of the needs of the people of Bhopal, and we remain hopeful we can play a part in meeting some of those needs through an appropriate philanthropic initiative.
All of us in industry, especially the chemical industry, appreciate the gravity and human cost of the Bhopal accident. It is a tragedy that should not have happened. Our obligation is to learn from it and to make every effort to see that such a tragedy never happens again. At Dow, we have redoubled our efforts to make protection of people and the environment a part of everything we do and every decision we make. We have taken, and continue to take, strong steps to realize our “vision of zero” – zero incidents, zero injuries, zero environmental harm. No lesser ideal is acceptable to us.
I hope it is evident that we are taking this issue very seriously and doing our best to take a thoughtful approach. Please continue to express your views and concerns on this and other issues in the future.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Parker
President and Chief Executive Officer
