Bhopal Disaster, and Its Unlikely Legacy in the World

This week: On December 3rd, 1984, some 40 metric tons of a deadly gas leaked out of a Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, India. Thousands died and hundreds of thousands were affected.  We devote this week’s show to Bhopal and the ongoing problems from hazardous chemicals around the world. You’ll hear about the toxic legacy of the factory where the accident occurred and the regulatory legacy of Bhopal in the U.S. We’ll also talk to an expert on toxic chemicals about what can be done to prevent future disasters.

The Bhopal Disaster, 25 Years Later: As many as 8,000 people are estimated to have died when the poisonous methyl isocyanate gas leaked out of Union Carbide’s pesticide factory in Bhopal. Thousands more have died since then, and still others remain sick. The factory where the accident occurred was shut down, but it left behind a toxic mess that has yet to be cleaned up.
The site of the gas leak (left). (Photo by Pooja Prakash.)

See more images of present-day Bhopal in a slide show.
BBC’s coverage of Bhopal.
One Night in Bhopal, a BBC documentary.

Bhopal’s Unlikely Legacy: When news about the Bhopal disaster reached the rest of the world, it alerted people to the potential dangers from industrial plants in their own communities. That was especially true in the United States, where people’s fears about hazardous chemicals reached a tipping point.  The result was major new legislation to protect the American public from toxic substances.
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
Use the TRI to find out about toxic threats in your neighborhood.
More on existing toxic threats in the U.S. at the Right-to-Know Network.
Find out more about toxic threats in India at Toxics Link.

How to Prevent Future Bhopals: In the 25 years since the Bhopal disaster, the dangers of toxic chemicals have not been eliminated. Especially in developing countries, laws meant to protect the public from toxic substances are often weak and poorly enforced. Advocates for greater protections say consumers and investors can play a role in pressuring companies to make their factories safer. We talk to Henrik Selin, a professor of international relations at Boston University and author of the forthcoming book Global Governance of Hazardous Chemicals.

Tags: Bhopal, India, toxic chemicals, Toxic Release Inventory, Union Carbide