Tugas 3
Union Carbide – Bhopal Disaster
Union Carbide – Bhopal Disaster
Summary :
Since
1984, 20,000 people lost their lives in Bhopal, India after a chemical gas
spill from a pesticide factory. More than 40 tons of methyl isocyante (MIC) gas
created a dense cloud over a resident population of more than half a million
people.
People
woke in their homes to fits of coughing, their lungs filling
with fluid. More than 8,000 people were
killed in just the first few days following the leak, mainly from cardiac and
respiratory arrest.
The
chemical factory responsible for this disaster belonged to Union Carbide, which
negotiated a settlement with the Indian Government in 1989 for $470 million - a
total of only $370 to $533 per victim - a sum too small to pay for most medical
bills. In 1987, a Bhopal District Court charged Union Carbide officials,
including then CEO Warren Anderson, with culpable homicide, grievous assault
and other serious offences. In 1992, a warrant was issued for Anderson's
arrest.
But
justice has eluded the people of Bhopal for more than 20 years. Dow, since its
merger with Union Carbide, refuses to assume these liabilities in India - or
clean up the toxic poisons left behind.
Questions :
1. What
are the ethical issues raised by the case?
ð -
Anderson, who had been imprisoned briefly by the Indian government on charges
of "negligence and criminal liability corporation", has been devoting
all his attention to the problem of the proliferation of company announcements
complete details negotations with government officials in India: they have
rejected as inadequate approximately $ 200 million as compensation for the
death of the $ 2,000 and injured 200,000 others, due in December 1984 by a
poisonous methyl isocyanate gas leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant
located in Bhopal, India.
- The Analysts expect the company will be
forced into bankruptcy. Ironically, Garbide union factory in Bhopal have been
losing money for several years and Anderson considered close it.
2. Did
the legal doctrine of “limited liability” apply to protect the shareholders of
Union Carbide (US)?
ð Apply.
But before this tragedy, a subsidiary of India has done poorly. In an attempt
to contain an annual loss of $ 4 million from the plant manager is not
profitable local company has intiated some cost-cutting program.
3. Were
the Indian operations, which were being overseen by the managers of Union
Carbide Corporation (U.S) in compliance with legal or moral or ethical
standards?
ð Some
other safety measures are not implemented and operating standards at the plant
is not in accordance with the standards in the other Union Carbide plant. In
addition, there is the possibility of safety measures are allowed as part of
the "saving procedures" by the company at the factory. Thus the Union
Carbide India was not running the operation according to the standard legal,
moral and ethical because it does not perform the procedure well and has
resulted in falling victim. They should pay more attention to procedures that
do not harm others.
Kelompok
:
1.
Adinda Cecaria Mentari
2.
Amrizal Bayasud
3.
Nini Agustin Miranti
4.
Ramadani Tri Permatasari
5.
Siti Yuliani
