The illegal trade in chemicals
<p>Chemicals provide important benefits to society and play a vital role in the global economy, but they also carry risks for the environment and human health, with greater risks to vulnerable social groups.
Toxic Wastes
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Phase-I of Bhopal’s toxic removal to begin soon
The visible part of the waste to go to Germany first, buried part in next phase The 350 tonnes of toxic waste dumped on the premises of the erstwhile Union Carbide factory in Bhopal would be flown to Germany to be incinerated, either there or in any other part of Europe in line with the proposal of GIZ, the German state agency. Yesterday’s cabinet approval of the proposal marks a milestone in the nearly three-decade wait to clean the 32-acre site housing remnants of the toxic pesticides left by the company after the industrial disaster there in end-1984.
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Cabinet clears Rs. 25-crore plan to airlift Bhopal waste
Almost three decades after deadly gases spewed out of the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, the Union Cabinet has finally approved the proposal to airlift 350 tonnes of toxic waste from the defunct pesticide factory site to Germany for safe disposal. Tuesday's Cabinet decision comes after attempts to dispose of the waste in several Indian plants were vociferously opposed by nearby residents. The Central government will pay Rs. 25 lakh to German firm GIZ to remove the waste.
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Agrichem blaze released toxins
Dimensions of damage caused by fire breakout on June 30 in a chemical reactor at Nagarjuna Agrichem Limited at Srikakulam are far more than a mere figure of 16 injured, of which 13 are undergoing treatment at Vizianagaram and three at Visakhapatnam. What is being attempted to put under wraps is the exposure of those injured, rescue workers, other scores of workers in unit (200 as per the sources) and those in the vicinity including surrounding villages who all inhaled these volatile Organophosphate compounds arising out of the gutting of pesticides in the unit.
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Washing the dyed fabrics in River Cauvery still remains unchecked in Erode district
The practice of washing the dyed fabrics in River Cauvery still remains unchecked in the district, adding more pollution to the river water that is already too dirty and becoming unfit for human consumption. The units have been carrying out the practice with much impunity and the authorities here have not initiated any serious efforts to deter them. Many units resort to the practice of washing the toxic dyes and dirt from the fabrics in the river as it is much cheaper and it involves less trouble.
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Govt watching fruit traders
New Delhi: The Delhi government has decided to increase vigilance at wholesale fruit markets to check use of hazardous chemicals for ripening fruits. Health minister A K Walia said this on Tuesday after
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NGOs to challenge US court's Bhopal verdict
Survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy and some non-government organisations (NGOs) have decided to appeal in the second circuit court of appeals against the US court summary judgment which ruled that neither Union Carbide nor its former chairman, Warren Anderson, were liable for environmental remediation emanating from one of the world's worst industrial accidents. Interestingly, the state government, which had earlier promised to be an intervener in the case has done nothing so far, claims activists. Even after the recent judgement, the state government, reportedly, has made no announcement on whether it would be on the side of the victims who are fighting for justice.
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Fish death leaves PCB high and dry
The recurrence of large-scale fish death in the Periyar river has left environmentalists and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) officials a worried lot. The situation assumes importance in the wake of the ongoing trawling ban when the demand for freshwater fish is at its peak. According to environmentalists, after May 3, there have been over 18 instances of large-scale fish death in the Periyar. “Fish death has become common in Eloor. Though the phenomenon is usually seen in summer and was expected to stop with the onset of monsoon, it has not.
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One arrested for operating illegal processing unit
The police on Friday arrested a person who was reportedly found operating an unauthorised textile processing unit and dumping untreated effluents into water sources, based on a complaint from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). A team of officials from the TNPCB found a person running illegal textile processing units in Periyasemur area a few days ago and letting out untreated effluents into Pichakkaranpallam Odai, a water course in the town.
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‘UCC not liable under veil-piercing analysis’
In a setback to 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victims, a United States court has held that neither Union Carbide nor its former chairman Warren Anderson were liable for environmental remediation or pollution-related claims at the firm’s former chemical plant in Bhopal. In his written opinion, US district judge John Keena concluded that even when viewing the evidence in the most favourable light for the plaintiffs, UCC is not directly liable, nor liable as an agent of UCIL, nor liable under a veil-piercing analysis.
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Bhopal liability: US court lets off Union Carbide
New York: In a setback to 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victims, a US court has held that neither Union Carbide nor its former chairman Warren Anderson were liable for environmental remediation or pollution-related