The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Environmental Sciences Essay

The Bhopal natural be adrift Tragedy Environmental Sciences testOn declination 3, 1984. In the city of Bhopal, a cloud of ototoxic gases escaped from an American pesticide position, killing and injuring thousands of lot. When the noxious clouds cleargond, the t onlyy industrial hap in history had taken site. Now, Dominique Lapierre in her book Five ago Midnight brings the hundreds of characters, conflicts, and adventures together in an unforgettable tale of love and hope.Introduction joint Carbide Corporation (UCC) was asked to build a define out for the manufacture of Sevin, a pesticide usu in altogethery riding habitd end-to-end Asia. As part of the deal, Indias goernance insisted that a probative percentage of the investment come from topical anaesthetic sh beholders. The politics itself had a 22% stake in the high societys subsidiary, Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). The comp all built the sic in Bhopal beca wasting disease of its central location and access to transport infrastructure. The specific grade at bottom the city was z onenessd for light industrial and commercial use, non for idle pains. The plant was initially approved only for formulation of pesticides from component chemics, such(prenominal)(prenominal) as MIC import from the p arnt comp any(prenominal), in relatively small quantities. However, embrace from competition in the chemic substance industry led UCIL to implement arseswept integration the manufacture of raw satisfyings and intermediate harvest-times for formulation of the final product within one facility. This was inherently a more sophisticated and uncertain process.In 1984, the plant was manufacturing Sevin at one quarter of its production cognitive content collect to decreased demand for pesticides. Widespread crop failures and famine on the subcontinent in the 1980s led to change order indebtedness and decreased capital for utter just aboutmers to invest in pesticides. topical anesthetic managers were directed to close the plant and seduce it for sale in July 1984 due to decreased profitability. When no ready purchaser was ensn be, UCIL make plans to dismantle key production units of the facility for shipment to some different ontogenesis country. In the meantime, the facility keep to operate with resort equipment and procedures far below the standards found in its sister plant in Institute, west closely Virginia. The topical anesthetic government was aw ar of preventive problems but was reticent to place plodding industrial prophylactic and befoulment control burdens on the try industry because it fe ard the economical effects of the loss of such a fully grown employer.At 11.00 PM on December 2 1984, while most of the one million residents of Bhopal slept, an operator at the plant noticed a small leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and increasing pressure inside(a) a terminus armored combat vehicle. The vent-gas scrubber, a inviolabl ety device designer to countervail toxic discharge from the MIC system, had been turned off 3 weeks prior. Apparently a faulty valve had allowed one ton of irrigate for cleaning internal pipes to miscellanea with forty tons of MIC. A 30 ton refrigeration unit that normally served as a safety component to cool the MIC store tank had been drained of its coolant for use in another part of the plant. printing press and heat from the vigorous exothermic reaction in the tank go along to build. The gas flare safety system was out of action and had been for three months. At almost 1.00 AM, December 3, loud rumbling reverberated just about the plant as a safety valve gave counsel sending a crochet of MIC gas into the archaeozoic morning air. Within hours, the streets of Bhopal were littered with human corpses and the carcasses of buffaloes, cows, dogs and birds. An estimated 3,800 mickle died straightway, mostly in the poor slum colony adjacent to the UCC plant. Local hospitals were soon overwhelmed with the injured, a crisis further compounded by a lack of k in a flashledge of exactly what gas was involved and what its effects were. It became one of the worst chemical casualtys in history and the name Bhopal became synonymous with industrial catastrophe.Estimates of the minute of people killed in the prototypic few days by the crochet from the UCC plant run as high as 10,000, with 15,000 to 20,000 premature deaths reportedly occurring in the subsequent two decades. The Indian government reported that more than half a million people were exposed to the gas. Several epidemiologic studies conducted soon later the accident showed significant morbidity and increase deathrate in the exposed population. These info are likely to chthonian-represent the true issue of adverse wellness effects because many exposed individuals left Bhopal immediately adjacent the disaster never to return and were in that respectfore lost to follow-up. washImmediately afte r the disaster, UCC began attempts to dissociate itself from righteousness for the gas leak. Its principal simulated military feat was to shift culpability to UCIL, stating the plant was wholly built and operated by the Indian subsidiary. It overly fabricated scenarios involving sabotage by previously unknow Sikh extremist groups and disgruntled employees but this theory was impugned by numerous freelance characters.The toxic plume had barely cleared when, on December 7, the first multi- zillion dollar lawsuit was filed by an American attorney in a U.S. court. This was the beginning of years of legal machinations in which the ethical implications of the tragedy and its tinct on Bhopals people were volumedly ignored. In March 1985, the Indian government enacted the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act as a way of ensuring that claims arising from the accident would be dealt with speedily and equitably. The Act made the government the sole representative of the victims in legal proce edings both within and after-school(prenominal) India. Eventually all shields were taken out of the U.S. legal system under(a) the ruling of the presiding American judge and set(p) entirely under Indian jurisdiction much to the detriment of the injured parties.In a law of closure mediated by the Indian Supreme Court, UCC accepted moral betability and agreed to pay $470 million to the Indian government to be distributed to claimants as a full and final settlement. The figure was partly based on the disputed claim that only 3000 people died and 102,000 suffered permanent disabilities. Upon announcing this settlement, shares of UCC rose $2 per share or 7% in value. Had compensation in Bhopal been stipendiary at the same rate that asbestosis victims where macrocosm awarded in US courts by defendant including UCC which mined asbestos from 1963 to 1985 the liability would induce been greater than the $10 billion the company was worth and insured for in 1984. By the end of Octob er 2003, agree to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, compensation had been awarded to 554,895 people for injuries standard and 15,310 survivors of those killed. The average amount to families of the dead was $2,200.At e very turn, UCC has assay to manipulate, alter and withhold scientific data to the detriment of victims. Even to this date, the company has not assignd exactly what was in the toxic cloud that enveloped the city on that December night. When MIC is exposed to 200 heat, it forms degraded MIC that contains the more deadly atomic number 1 cyanide (HCN). There was clear evidence that the storage tank temperature did gain this level in the disaster. The cherry-red color of blood and viscera of some victims were characteristic of acute cyanide poisoning. Moreover, many reacted well to administration of sodium thiosulfate, an effective therapy for cyanide poisoning but not MIC word picture. UCC initially recommended use of sodium thiosulfate but withdrew the statement later prompting suggestions that it attempted to upside up evidence of HCN in the gas leak. The presence of HCN was vigorously denied by UCC and was a bakshish of conjecture among researchers.As further insult, UCC discontinued operation at its Bhopal plant following the disaster but failed to clean up the industrial site completely. The plant continues to leak several toxic chemicals and leaden metals that find found their way into local aquifers. Dangerously contaminated water has now been added to the legacy left by the company for the people of BhopalLESSONS conditionedThe events in Bhopal revealed that expanding industrialization in underdeveloped countries without concurrent evolution in safety regulations could sire catastrophic consequences. The disaster demonstrated that seemingly local problems of industrial imagines and toxic pollution are often tied to valet de chambrewide market dynamics. UCCs Sevin production plant was built in Mad hya Pradesh not to quash milieual regulations in the U.S. but to exploit the large and growing Indian pesticide market. However the manner in which the project was executed suggests the existence of a double standard for multinational corporations operating in developing countries. enforceable uniform outside(a) operating regulations for dotty industries would have provided a machine for significantly improved in safety in Bhopal. Even without enforcement, international standards could provide norms for measuring performance of individual companies engaged in godforsaken activities such as the manufacture of pesticides and other toxic chemicals in India. interior(a) governments and international agencies should focus on widely applicable techniques for corporate responsibility and accident bar as much in the developing world context as in advanced industrial nations. Specifically, prevention should involve risk reduction in plant location and design and safety legislation.L ocal governments clearly cannot allow industrial facilities to be situated within urban cranial orbits, regard little of the evolution of land use over time. labor and government collect to bring proper financial support to local communities so they can provide medical and other necessary work to reduce morbidity, mortality and material loss in the case of industrial accidents.Public health infrastructure was very weak in Bhopal in 1984. Tap water was available for only a few hours a day and was of very poor quality. With no mathematical operation sewage system, untreated human thieve was dumped into two nearby lakes, one a source of drinking water. The city had four major hospitals but there was a shortage of physicians and hospital beds. There was besides no mass hap emergency response system in place in the city. quick public health infrastructure needs to be taken into account when hazardous industries choose sites for manufacturing plants. Future guidance of industr ial reading requires that stamp down resources be devoted to advance formulation before any disaster occurs. Communities that do not possess infrastructure and technical expertise to respond adequately to such industrial accidents should not be chosen as sites for hazardous industry.Since 1984Following the events of December 3 1984 environmental awareness and activism in India increased significantly. The Environment Protection Act was passed in 1986, creating the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and change Indias commitment to the environment. Under the new act, the MoEF was granted overall responsibility for administering and enforcing environmental laws and policies. It realised the importance of integrating environmental strategies into all industrial ontogeny plans for the country. However, despite greater government commitment to protect public health, forests, and wildlife, policies accommodate to developing the countrys economy have taken precedence in the exit 20 years.India has undergone tremendous economic growth in the two decades since the Bhopal disaster. everlasting(a) domestic product (GDP) per capita has increased from $1,000 in 1984 to $2,900 in 2004 and it continues to grow at a rate of over 8% per year. Rapid industrial development has contributed greatly to economic growth but there has been significant make up in environmental degradation and increased public health risks. Since hanging efforts consume a large portion of Indias GDP, MoEF faces an uphill battle as it tries to fulfill its mandate of reducing industrial pollution. Heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants and poor enforcement of vehicle electric discharge laws have result from economic concerns taking precedence over environmental protection.With the industrial growth since 1984, there has been an increase in small scale industries (SSIs) that are clustered roughly major urban areas in India. There are generally less stringent rules for the treatmen t of waste produced by SSIs due to less waste generation within each individual industry. This has allowed SSIs to dispose of untreated effluent into drainage systems that flow directly into rivers. New Delhis Yamuna River is illustrative. Dangerously high levels of heavy metals such as lead, cobalt, cadmium, chrome, nickel and zinc have been detect in this river which is a major supply of potable water to Indias capital gum olibanum posing a potential health risk to the people spiritedness there and areas downstream.Land pollution due to uncontrolled disposal of industrial solid and hazardous waste is also a problem throughout India. With rapid industrialization, the generation of industrial solid and hazardous waste has increased appreciably and the environmental impact is significant.India relaxed its controls on foreign investment in order to accede to WTO rules and thereby attract an increasing flow of capital. In the process, a number of environmental regulations are being rolled back as growing foreign investments continue to roll in. The Indian hold is comparable to that of a number of developing countries that are experiencing the environmental impacts of morphologic adjustment. Exploitation and export of natural resources has accelerated on the subcontinent. Prohibitions against locating industrial facilities in bionomically sensitive zones have been eliminated while conservation zones are being stripped of their status so that pesticide, cement and bauxite mines can be built. Heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants and poor enforcement of vehicle emission laws are other consequences of economic concerns taking precedence over environmental protection.In March 2001, residents of Kodaikanal in southern India caught the Anglo-Dutch company, Unilever, red-handed when they discovered a dumpsite with toxic mercury laced waste from a thermometer grinder run by the companys Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Lever. The 7.4 ton stockpile of mercury-laden glass was found in torn stacks spilling onto the ground in a corpuscle metal yard located near a school. In the choke of 2001, steel from the ruins of the World Trade Center was exported to India apparently without first being tried for contamination from asbestos and heavy metals present in the twin pillar debris. Other examples of poor environmental stewardship and economic considerations taking precedence over public health concerns abound.The Bhopal disaster could have changed the nature of the chemical industry and caused a reexamination of the necessity to produce such potentially noxious products in the first place. However the lessons of acute and chronic effects of exposure to pesticides and their precursors in Bhopal has not changed clownish practice patterns. An estimated 3 million people per year suffer the consequences of pesticide poisoning with most exposure occurring in the agricultural developing world. It is reported to be the cause of at least 22,000 deaths in India each year. In the state of Kerala, significant mortality and morbidity have been reported following exposure to Endosulfan, a toxic pesticide whose use continued for 15 years after the events of Bhopal.Aggressive marketing of asbestos continues in developing countries as a result of restrictions being placed on its use in developed nations due to the well-established link between asbestos products and respiratory diseases. India has endure a major consumer, using around 100,000 tons of asbestos per year, 80% of which is imported with Canada being the largest overseas supplier. Mining, production and use of asbestos in India is very in general regulated despite the health hazards. Reports have shown morbidity and mortality from asbestos tie in disease will continue in India without enforcement of a ban or significantly tighter controls.UCC has shrunk to one sixth of its size since the Bhopal disaster in an effort to restructure and divest itself. By doing so, the company avoided a hostile takeover, placed a significant portion of UCCs assets out of legal reach of the victims and gave its shareholder and top executives bountiful profits. The company assuage operates under the ownership of Dow Chemicals and still states on its website that the Bhopal disaster was cause by deliberate sabotage.Some confirming changes were seen following the Bhopal disaster. The British chemical company, ICI, whose Indian subsidiary manufactured pesticides, increased attention to health, safety and environmental issues following the events of December 1984. The subsidiary now spends 30-40% of their capital expenditures on environmental-related projects. However, they still do not adhere to standards as strict as their parent company in the UK.The US chemical giant DuPont learned its lesson of Bhopal in a different way. The company attempted for a decade to export a nylon plant from Richmond, VA to Goa, India. In its early negotiations with the Indian government, DuPon t had sought and won a remarkable clause in its investment agreement that absolved it from all liabilities in case of an accident. provided the people of Goa were not willing to acquiesce while an important ecological site was cleared for a heavy polluting industry. After nearly a decade of protesting by Goas residents, DuPont was forced to scuttle plans there. Chennai was the next proposed site for the plastics plant. The state government there made significantly greater demand on DuPont for concessions on public health and environmental protection. Eventually, these plans were also aborted due to what the company called financial concerns.QUESTIONAIRE look up Alkesh R TakpereAge 43Company Name RCFDesignation Chief Manager (Technical services)Which products do you deal in ?Fertilizers and other chemicals1) Fertilizer Urea2) Complex fertilizers (NPK)3) Methanol4) Sodium Nitrate5) ammonium ion bicarbonate6) Methylamines7) Dimethyl Form amide8) DimethylacetamideWhich is the most hazardous chemical and what is the harm caused due to it ?Methanol is a hazardous chemical. It has severed effects on the torso such as severe abdominal, leg, and back pain. Amounts of methanol can also cause Loss of vision and even blindness.Have your company go about any tragedy with regards to gas leakage?No, RCF has never faced any gas leakage problems. During the start up and the shut down all the gases are arrested using flares.If yes, how did you deal with the situation?We have upgraded ourselves with all the up-to-the-minute engine room. There are 22 plants in all and they are installed with DCS systems in all the plants. Being established in 1968 we gradually modernized all the systems. We have computerized control systems which help us track all the activities around the manufacturing units. The temperature level of all the vessels can be moderated via computer.Internalized LAN system connections with the ammonium hydroxide plants help in keeping a harmonise on funct ioning of the plant, temperature and chemical levels, MCS 1010 degree Celsius.Workplace monitors help us to take tonic actions via Alarms and CCTVs which command the operators and the analysts.What are the ideal norms to be followed in a chemical manufacturing company?There are two typewrites of Norms followed by the RCF uninjuredty norms and environment norms.Safety normsTraining to all contract employeesTime to time health hold on upSeparate training placen to the engineersFire engagement trainingGloves, goggles and shoes to deal with hazardous chemicalsWelding resistance for welding jobsEnvironment normsNorms related to Sox ,Nox,ammonia water , PM2.5,CO etcOther stipulated norms given by CPCB (Central taint Control Board) and MPCB(Maharashtra Pollution Control Board) and RCF works way below these norms.What precautions are taken as a measure of safety ?Studies done by allocated bodies ISO 14000 ,ISO 9000 OSAS -18000 ( Certified)Proper medical aid availableness at the tim e of accidentsimputable care for worker life by availing the insuranceHealth check up from time to timeWorkers with Phobias detected by the doctor are not permitted to workFire Fighting Training is given to the workers in the welding departmentMock drill on takes 1,2,3 is conducted once in a quarter for monitoring safetyLevel 1 Deals with vapourous emissionsLevel 2 Deals with Fire DepartmentLevel 3 unwashed group discussions are done in case of major issues. Level 3 Mock drill is performed once in a year. BPCL HPCL are members with RCF who are taken into consideration at level 3 typesetters case Heavy leakageDid the company undergo any changes after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy?RCF has set up the environment cell in 1978. five hundred cr. was spent for environment protection while setting up the cell.4 ambient air quality monitoring sections are set up around each plant of RCF to monitor the gas emissions from the plant.They function 247 to shift and capture data every 15 minutes.Me teorological Department is set up in one of the plants to control the air pollution around RCF.Are all the employees in your company insured?There is a group insurance form _or_ system of governmentThe contract workers are insured under ESIWhat is the role of the company in social responsibility?Ans The following initiatives have been taken by the company Farmer Education on farm inputs Soil Testing of major and micro nutrients Water/Irrigation focus Plant Protection Measures Training on post harvest technology marketing Field and Crop Demonstrations are other effective center of imparting knowledge to farmers. Tie-up with M/s ITC e-choupal The Company has 6 static and 4 mobile soil-testing vans. More than 60,000 soil samples are tested every year and recommendations on efficient use of fertilizers are given through Soil Health Cards. 600 Krishi-melas conducted serving around 3,00,000 farmers per year RCF has launched a dedicated website for farmers www.rcfkrushisamridhi.comWhat are the motley monitoring surveillance system espouse by the company for security purposes?Ans For security purposes the company follows various policies likeThe Fraud Prevention Policy of RCF-2010 has been framed to provide a system for detection and prevention of fraud, reporting of any fraud that is detected or rumed and fair dealing of matters pertaining to fraud. The policy will get a line and provide for the following-1. To fancy that management is aware of its responsibilities for detection and prevention of fraud and for establishing procedures for preventing fraud and/or detecting fraud when it occurs.2. To provide a clear guidance to employees and others dealing with RCF, forbidding them from involvement in any fraudulent activity and the action to be taken by them where they suspect any fraudulent activity.3. To conduct investigations into fraudulent activities.4. To provide assurances that any and all suspected fraudulent activity will be fully investigated.This p olicy applies to any fraud, or suspected fraud, involving employees of RCF (all full time, part time or employees appointed on adhoc / temporary / contract basis, probationers and trainees) as well as representatives of vendors, suppliers, contractors, consultants, service providers or any outside agency doing any type of business with RCF.The company also employs 12 to 15 security guards in around the office premises.What is the back-up plan of the company in case of uncomely accident or any emergency?Ans There is availability of ambulance at factory siteSafety alarms are available as a warning signal to act quickly in case of emergencyWorkers are provided with proper and maintained machineriesWhat role does ethics fulfill at RCF?We make sure that air pollution Act, water pollution act and noise pollution act are followed strictly. In MOU with government of India we ensure that are 2 man days per employee for training.What measure has RCF taken apart from the government norms?In stead of N2O, RCF uses DN2O acid catalyst which has the potential of depleting pollution by 300 times. We also use selective catalytic nuclear reactor to emit colorless fumes instead of brown fumes as earlier.Interpretation Analysis of the InterviewRCF produces fertilizers and other hazardous chemicals of the grades 15-15-15 20-20-0RCF being one of the largest chemical fertilizing plants takes utmost precautions and applies stringent practice of safety measures.They are very particular about the safety and take heavy measures for the same.They give adequate training to all the workers as well as the contract employees. They are one step ahead in applying the safety norms. There have no incident taken place in RCF with respect to gas leakage or other such disaster.They are very advance(a) and have modernized all the plants since 1968.They use computerised monitoring system to check the functioning of every plant which is reviewed in every 15 minutes.There are 22 plants and a plant is shut down once a year for yearly aid either in May or October for a maximum period of 20 days one plant at a time.They have spent around 500 crores for developing the environment cell thus contributing to the protection of environment.They are also very particular about the health of every worker. Also after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy , the government norms have become very stringent.Thus, the firm interview gave us a idea that RCF believes in Better Safe than SorryQ. Describe the systematic errors that led to the disaster in December 1984 ?These were the above factors that contributes to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984. PRODUCTION The use of hazardous chemicals like (MIC) instead of less dangerous ones.MAINTENANCEStoring these chemicals in large tanks instead of over 200 steel drums.Possible corroding material in pipelinesPoor maintenance after the plant ceased production in the early 1980sSECURITY SAFETY Failure of several safety systems (due to poor maintenance and regulations). Safety systems being switched off to save money-including the MIC tank refrigeration system which alone would have prevented the disaster.GOVERNMENT The problem was made worse by the plants location near a densely dwell area, non-existent catastrophe plans and shortcomings in health care and socio-economic rehabilitation.Analysis shows that the parties responsible for the magnitude of the disaster are the two owners, Union Carbide Corporation and the Government of India, and to some extent, the Government of Madhya Pradesh.FINANCE Providing less wages no promotions to highly proficient workers which made them to switch the organisation.TRAINING Forcing the workers to use english manuals even after knowing they are not familiar with the language.Q. Find out explode points that a continuous process manufacturing plant dealing with hazardous materials need to watch out for ?A continuous process manufacturing plant have to watch out on following points Chemical levels of NoxSoxAmmon ia $ other hazardous ChemicalsTemperature levels of the VesselsAfter Bhopal Gas Tragedy , all the chemical manufacturing companies have started having stag monitors in every branch as a precaution measure.Wherever these hazardous chemicals are produced, stored, used or handled, a proper and effective health management programme should be utilize so as to protect the interest and safeguard the safety and health of people who are exposed to such materials.Policies and dodge the responsibility of the management regarding the safety of employees and the use of the chemicals should be stated in the policy statement. To give effect to the policy, the management must frame a wide strategy on managing the hazardous chemicals.Register of chemicals these should contain the information regarding the location and the stock-take of the chemicals. Also it should mention the number of people exposed to those hazardous chemicals. risk of exposure assessment and control 1) identification of the safety and the health hazardous events,2) relative frequency of the exposure to the chemicals and likelihood of occurrence of the events and its evolution too.If the finding shows that the risk is too high and not acceptable than preventive measures should be taken as soon as possible.Safety work procedures at any point where and when this chemicals are used in handling there should be a written procedure for the start up, routine operation, shut down and maintenance work. It also include the use of personal protective equipments when necessary and also other precautions to be taken.Storage of chemicals a storage system is established based on the nature of the chemical, incompatibility, quantity and environmental conditions. So the layout of the storage design should take into the consideration like the statutory requirement, material safety data and also other national and international standards to be followed. ad hominem protection equipment include respirators, safety glass es, field shields overall, aprons and gloves.Workplace monitoring it reveals which workers, area of the workplace and nearby vicinity of the plant will be most affected if level of the airborne contamination increases. A regular medical examination by a competent person should be carried out and also result of the monitoring should be correctly evaluated and properly recorded.Emergency planning responses and first aid procedures its needed to cope upwith chemical acciidents such as fires, explosions, spills, or leaks of hazardous materials. Emergency procedures should be established so that the source of release should be properly rectified and the area of contamination could be properly contained. The first aid programme will ensure that provisions for emergency treatment of victims of chemical poisoning or uppity exposure to toxic chemicals are met.Information and training employees who handle chemicals or may be affected by them should be informed of the hazard potential of these chemicals and the procedures for safe handling, minimization of exposure. A training programme should be instituted to ensure that the safe handling procedure are both known and understood by all concerned. Information on hazardous chemicals and safe handling procedures should be disseminated regularly to employees involved via group and individual training, data sheets and other aids.Programme review and audit the management should conduct an annual review of its hazard