Dow Chemical's Toxic Legacy Taints 2012 London Olympics

Olympic Partner Refuses to Take Responsibility for Industrial Disaster; 100,000 Continue to Suffer

(Washington, D.C.) – Deep in the heart of east London lies the Olympic stadium. Surrounding the 80,000 seat arena is a controversial, $11 million fabric wrap provided by one of the world's largest chemical manufacturers, Dow Chemicals.
While the wrap itself, a series of triangular white panels, looks plain and inoffensive, the chemical giant behind it has a somewhat darker legacy.


Almost 30 years ago, in December 1984, the Indian city of Bhopal was the scene of one of the largest industrial disasters in history. A toxic gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant killed between 7,000 and 10,000 men, women and children in the immediate aftermath. Another 15,000 or so died in the following years, and more than 100,000 are estimated to continue to suffer from serious health problems as a result of the leak.


"Young children are forced to give up school and work because their parents have been affected by the gas," Safreen, a 17-year-old activist, told Amnesty International when the organization recently visited Bhopal.
Since 2001, Dow has been 100% owner of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), the company whose Indian subsidiary operated the Bhopal plant. UCC walked away from Bhopal without cleaning up or disclosing the exact nature of the gas that leaked. No investigation has since been launched into why the leak happened or the impact it has had on people's lives. Survivors have not been given the medical care they need, nor fair compensation.
Despite this, UCC and its owner Dow, continue to deny any responsibility for the ongoing tragedy.

For more information about this Disaster go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster.