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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 2014)
Œljt Page 8 ^orttani» OObserUer August 13. 2014 New Prices Effective May 1,2010 Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG $45.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: I small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With O ther Services): $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool): $40.00Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $ 10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services)'. $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 30 Years of Toxic Injustice for Bhopal Survivors Dow-owned Union Carbide avoids accountability by M arco S imons The night of the industrial disaster is forever seared into the memory of the people of Bhopal, India. Heavy clouds of methyl iso cyanate — a deadly toxin — and other gases engulfed crow ded shantytowns, the railway station, and surrounding settlements after a runaway chain reaction at a pesti cide plant. Thousands of people died immediately and tens o f thou sands more have died since from illnesses related to the chemical ex posure. Nearly 30 years after the horrific pre-dawn hours of Dec. 3,1984, resi dents whose groundwater contin ues to be contaminated by chemi cals leaking from Union Carbide’s abandoned industrial complex are still getting sick and fighting for justice. Unfortunately, a U.S. court has once again blocked their quest for justice. A new ruling is again allow ing Union Carbide, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co. since 2001, to dodge accountability in the United States. New York federal judge John F. Keenan ruled in late July that Union Carbide wasn’t sufficiently involved in the plant’s design and construc tion. Seemingly undeniable evi dence dem onstrates otherw ise: John Couvaras, the project man ager who directly oversaw the con struction of the Bhopal plant, testi fied that he worked for Union Car bide at the time. A manager from Union Carbide’s Indian subsidiary confirmed this assertion. Astonishingly, the court simply didn’t care. Couvaras’s own testi mony about the company he worked for is “unsubstantiated,” Keenan decided. Instead, Union Carbide’s statements that Couvaras worked for its subsidiary were “conclusive” evidence. If you ever thought you knew your own employer’s iden tity, think again — your testimony on that subject isn’t even really evidence. I lead the EarthRights Interna tional legal team that has brought multiple suits against Union Car bide since 1999. So far, none of our lawsuits have brought justice to the people of Bhopal. To see yet an other attempt be dismissed by U.S courts is heartbreaking. The victims haven’t fared much better in their own courts. In 1989, Union Carbide settled a lawsuit in India, giving the victims and their families about $500 each — scant compensation for a loss of life or lifelong illnesses. In 2002, a few years after Dow Chemical acquired Union Carbide, a spokesperson for the chemical gi ant infamously remarked, “$500 is plenty good for an Indian.” Earlier this summer, Dow refused to appear before the District Court in Bhopal to face charges related to the new contamination at the site of the pesticide plant’s ruins. Adding insult to injury, Dow has tried to sue Bhopal activists four differ ent tim es in Indian courts over their continued protests against the com pany. In 1999, EarthRights International assisted Bhopal residents in filing new class-action suits in U.S. courts against Union Carbide over the re maining contamination, seeking a cleanup. One of those cases was dismissed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals last year. The court acknowledged that the plaintiffs “may well have suffered terrible and lasting injuries from a wholly pre ventable disaster for which some one is responsible” — but it refused to place any of that responsibility on Union Carbide. After the Bhopal debacle, Union Carbide packed up and left a mess that’s still poisoning residents and their environment, and its mess is now D ow ’s problem. People living near the plant continue to suffer physical ailments, live on contami nated property, and drink poisoned water. Not only have the victims been denied justice at every door they’ve knocked on, they have also been sued for seeking justice in the first place. But the fight for justice contin ues — we aren’t about to give up. W e w ill ag ain ap p eal Ju d g e Keenan’s ruling to the Second Cir cuit, hoping that that court will rec ognize Union Carbide’s obvious role in the tragedy at Bhopal. And we will assist people in India who con tinue to fight for accountability in that country’s courts, taking the fight to Dow in the United States if necessary. After 30 years, justice is long overdue. Marco Simons is the Legal Di rector o f EarthRights Interna tional. •
