05-08-2009, 06:01 AM
From old blog entries when I was living in West Virginia
near the Bayer/Dow/Union Carbide facilities (pictured):
![[Image: 06_03_01_union_carbide.jpg]](http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/images/06_03_01_union_carbide.jpg)
"1985 January 15. The chemical industry announced the formation of a special committee of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association to lobby the state legislature "so that those regulations [in response to the Bhopal disaster] are reasonable and do not unnecessarily harm the industry."
1985 January 23. The U.S. EPA announced that Union Carbide records showed that there had been 28 leaks of MIC at the Institute, West Virginia plant in the years 1980 through 1984. MIC production at the Institute plant was halted after the disaster at Bhopal until May 1985, but in the six weeks following the disaster, 1.4 million pounds of MIC at Institute were converted to pesticide, and shipments of MIC to France and Brazil were returned to the company's Woodbine, Georgia facility. See also the February 1985, August 1985, and February 1990 entries.
1985 February. Union Carbide notified the U.S. EPA that since 1980, 190 chemical leaks had occured at its Institute, West Virginia plant, including 61 leaks of methyl isocynate (MIC), 107 leaks of phosgene, and 22 leaks of both.
1985 March 1. The U.S. EPA filed a civil administrative complaint against Union Carbide under TSCA Section 8(e), seeking a civil penalty of $3.9 million for delayed reporting of skin cancer tests involving diethyl sulfate. The tests, which had been conducted at the Carnegie Mellon Institute of Research in 1976-1978, showed a high rate of skin cancer in mice treated with the chemical; Union Carbide did not notify the EPA until September 1983.
1985 March. 5,700 pounds of acetone and mesityl oxide leaked from a Union Carbide distillation column at its plant in South Charleston, West Virginia; dozens of area residents became ill after breathing the fumes.
1985 June. The U.S. EPA fined six corporations (Union Carbide, BASF Wyandotte, Ciba-Geigy, BASF Systems, Dow Corning, and B.F. Goodrich's Tremco subsidiary) more than $6.9 million dollars for failing to notify the EPA before manufacturing new chemicals; the names and uses of the chemicals were withheld by the EPA because the manufacturers claimed that was confidential business information protected by law. Union Carbide was fined $212,500 for producing a new chemical at its Sisterville, West Virginia plant.
1985 August 11. The Institute, West Virginia facility leaked methylene chloride and aldicarb oxime, chemicals used to manufacture the pesticide Temik; six workers were injured, and more than a hundred residents were sent to the hospital. Thirty people filed two lawsuits seeking $88 million in damages, but hundreds of people marched in support of the company. OSHA proposed fines of $32,100 for endangering workers, though later agreed to having Union Carbide pay $4,400 if it bought an accident simulator for training workers. Union Carbide spent $5 million to improve safety systems, but two more leaks occurred in February 1990. See also the January 23, 1985, February 1985, and February 1990 entries.
1985 November. Union Carbide charged that employee sabotage caused the disaster at Bhopal, India.
1986 April. The U.S. OSHA, after a September 1985 inspection of five of 18 plant units at Institute, West Virginia, alleged 221 violations of 55 health and safety laws, and proposed $1.4 million in fines. OSHA classified 72 of the 221 violations "serious," where there is substantial probability of death or substantial physical harm. OSHA had earlier given the Institute plant a "clean bill of health" after Union Carbide spent $5 million in safety repairs after the disaster at Bhopal.
1986 May. Union Carbide had finished spending $700,000 on fencing, a guard tower, and electronic and photographic surveillance equipment to "increase security" at its Institute, West Virginia plant.
1987 July 24. Union Carbide Corporation agreed to pay $408,500 to settle 556 alleged health and safety regulations violations at its Institute and South Charleston, West Virginia plants; OSHA had originally proposed $1.4 million in fines for 462 willful violations.
1988 August 13. Fire and explosion of 4,300 pounds of ethylene oxide at Institute, West Virginia; tetranaphthalene was spilled into the Kanawha River, killing 3,000 fish.
1989 December. U.S. EPA conditionally proposed a civil penalty of $325,000 jointly against Union Carbide Corporation and Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company for violations of the Clean Water Act at the Institute, West Virginia facility.
1990 February. Union Carbide's Institute, West Virginia facility leaked methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, injuring seven workers, and muriatic acid, after which 15,000 residents were ordered to remain indoors. See also the January 23, 1985, February 1985, and August 1985 entries.
1991 December 31. Chemical tank explosion killed an employee at South Charleston, West Virginia plant. An asbestos contractor reported the loss of asbestos in the explosion. Union Carbide was subsequently fined $151,000 for 23 health and safety violations.
1992. The National Institutes for Chemical Studies (NICS), established in 1985, released its five-year study of cancer rates in the Kanawha Valley, West Virginia. The study was funded by Union Carbide and other chemical corporations, the U.S. EPA, and environmental groups. The study, which listed the top 23 polluters in West Virginia, showed a link between children's health and their proximity to chemical plants emitting volatile organic compounds. UC and other companies challenged the report's findings.
1993 August 18. An explosion at a former Union Carbide plant in Institute, West Virginia killed one employee and critically injured two others. Rhone-Poulenc, the current owner, was charged with 27 safety violations at its Larvin pesticide plant, including failure to properly maintain, inspect, and test piping systems and other equipment. OSHA fined Rhone-Poulenc a record $1.6 million.
1994 February 23. The U.S. EPA issued a complaint and compliance order to UCC&P, alleging violations of federal hazardous waste regulations at the South Charleston, West Virginia plant, and seeking a civil penalty of $320,000. The EPA charged Union Carbide with failure to perform regular leak detection testing, and with failure to maintain records of boiler wastes such as mercury, lead, and beryllium; the charges stemmed from a December 1992 surprise inspection of the plant.
1994 March 16. The U.S. EPA fined Union Carbide $75,000 for not reporting a leak of ethylene oxide at its Institute, West Virginia plant.
1999 September. Dow Chemical is buying Union Carbide for about $11.6 billion. The Dow-Carbide merger is a tax-free, stock-for-stock pooling of interests with the resulting corporation to be owned 75 percent by Dow shareholders and 25 percent by Union Carbide shareholders. Two Union Carbide directors will join the board of Dow. The new corporation expects to save $500 million by consolidating.
http://www.endgame.org/carbide-history.html
http://z7.invisionfree.com/E_Pluribus_Un...topic=3205
***
See also this image:
http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Image:Blain...arleston-WV.jpg
12 out of 25 of the facilities listed on this cryptome document
http://cryptome.org/chem/wv.html as having the greatest volumes of highly-toxic chemicals are in or near Greater Charleston.
The picture depicts South Charleston; across the river (to the left) is Institute. Down river to the right is Nitro. Up river (to the top) by ten miles is Belle.
near the Bayer/Dow/Union Carbide facilities (pictured):
"1985 January 15. The chemical industry announced the formation of a special committee of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association to lobby the state legislature "so that those regulations [in response to the Bhopal disaster] are reasonable and do not unnecessarily harm the industry."
1985 January 23. The U.S. EPA announced that Union Carbide records showed that there had been 28 leaks of MIC at the Institute, West Virginia plant in the years 1980 through 1984. MIC production at the Institute plant was halted after the disaster at Bhopal until May 1985, but in the six weeks following the disaster, 1.4 million pounds of MIC at Institute were converted to pesticide, and shipments of MIC to France and Brazil were returned to the company's Woodbine, Georgia facility. See also the February 1985, August 1985, and February 1990 entries.
1985 February. Union Carbide notified the U.S. EPA that since 1980, 190 chemical leaks had occured at its Institute, West Virginia plant, including 61 leaks of methyl isocynate (MIC), 107 leaks of phosgene, and 22 leaks of both.
1985 March 1. The U.S. EPA filed a civil administrative complaint against Union Carbide under TSCA Section 8(e), seeking a civil penalty of $3.9 million for delayed reporting of skin cancer tests involving diethyl sulfate. The tests, which had been conducted at the Carnegie Mellon Institute of Research in 1976-1978, showed a high rate of skin cancer in mice treated with the chemical; Union Carbide did not notify the EPA until September 1983.
1985 March. 5,700 pounds of acetone and mesityl oxide leaked from a Union Carbide distillation column at its plant in South Charleston, West Virginia; dozens of area residents became ill after breathing the fumes.
1985 June. The U.S. EPA fined six corporations (Union Carbide, BASF Wyandotte, Ciba-Geigy, BASF Systems, Dow Corning, and B.F. Goodrich's Tremco subsidiary) more than $6.9 million dollars for failing to notify the EPA before manufacturing new chemicals; the names and uses of the chemicals were withheld by the EPA because the manufacturers claimed that was confidential business information protected by law. Union Carbide was fined $212,500 for producing a new chemical at its Sisterville, West Virginia plant.
1985 August 11. The Institute, West Virginia facility leaked methylene chloride and aldicarb oxime, chemicals used to manufacture the pesticide Temik; six workers were injured, and more than a hundred residents were sent to the hospital. Thirty people filed two lawsuits seeking $88 million in damages, but hundreds of people marched in support of the company. OSHA proposed fines of $32,100 for endangering workers, though later agreed to having Union Carbide pay $4,400 if it bought an accident simulator for training workers. Union Carbide spent $5 million to improve safety systems, but two more leaks occurred in February 1990. See also the January 23, 1985, February 1985, and February 1990 entries.
1985 November. Union Carbide charged that employee sabotage caused the disaster at Bhopal, India.
1986 April. The U.S. OSHA, after a September 1985 inspection of five of 18 plant units at Institute, West Virginia, alleged 221 violations of 55 health and safety laws, and proposed $1.4 million in fines. OSHA classified 72 of the 221 violations "serious," where there is substantial probability of death or substantial physical harm. OSHA had earlier given the Institute plant a "clean bill of health" after Union Carbide spent $5 million in safety repairs after the disaster at Bhopal.
1986 May. Union Carbide had finished spending $700,000 on fencing, a guard tower, and electronic and photographic surveillance equipment to "increase security" at its Institute, West Virginia plant.
1987 July 24. Union Carbide Corporation agreed to pay $408,500 to settle 556 alleged health and safety regulations violations at its Institute and South Charleston, West Virginia plants; OSHA had originally proposed $1.4 million in fines for 462 willful violations.
1988 August 13. Fire and explosion of 4,300 pounds of ethylene oxide at Institute, West Virginia; tetranaphthalene was spilled into the Kanawha River, killing 3,000 fish.
1989 December. U.S. EPA conditionally proposed a civil penalty of $325,000 jointly against Union Carbide Corporation and Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company for violations of the Clean Water Act at the Institute, West Virginia facility.
1990 February. Union Carbide's Institute, West Virginia facility leaked methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, injuring seven workers, and muriatic acid, after which 15,000 residents were ordered to remain indoors. See also the January 23, 1985, February 1985, and August 1985 entries.
1991 December 31. Chemical tank explosion killed an employee at South Charleston, West Virginia plant. An asbestos contractor reported the loss of asbestos in the explosion. Union Carbide was subsequently fined $151,000 for 23 health and safety violations.
1992. The National Institutes for Chemical Studies (NICS), established in 1985, released its five-year study of cancer rates in the Kanawha Valley, West Virginia. The study was funded by Union Carbide and other chemical corporations, the U.S. EPA, and environmental groups. The study, which listed the top 23 polluters in West Virginia, showed a link between children's health and their proximity to chemical plants emitting volatile organic compounds. UC and other companies challenged the report's findings.
1993 August 18. An explosion at a former Union Carbide plant in Institute, West Virginia killed one employee and critically injured two others. Rhone-Poulenc, the current owner, was charged with 27 safety violations at its Larvin pesticide plant, including failure to properly maintain, inspect, and test piping systems and other equipment. OSHA fined Rhone-Poulenc a record $1.6 million.
1994 February 23. The U.S. EPA issued a complaint and compliance order to UCC&P, alleging violations of federal hazardous waste regulations at the South Charleston, West Virginia plant, and seeking a civil penalty of $320,000. The EPA charged Union Carbide with failure to perform regular leak detection testing, and with failure to maintain records of boiler wastes such as mercury, lead, and beryllium; the charges stemmed from a December 1992 surprise inspection of the plant.
1994 March 16. The U.S. EPA fined Union Carbide $75,000 for not reporting a leak of ethylene oxide at its Institute, West Virginia plant.
1999 September. Dow Chemical is buying Union Carbide for about $11.6 billion. The Dow-Carbide merger is a tax-free, stock-for-stock pooling of interests with the resulting corporation to be owned 75 percent by Dow shareholders and 25 percent by Union Carbide shareholders. Two Union Carbide directors will join the board of Dow. The new corporation expects to save $500 million by consolidating.
http://www.endgame.org/carbide-history.html
http://z7.invisionfree.com/E_Pluribus_Un...topic=3205
***
See also this image:
http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Image:Blain...arleston-WV.jpg
12 out of 25 of the facilities listed on this cryptome document
http://cryptome.org/chem/wv.html as having the greatest volumes of highly-toxic chemicals are in or near Greater Charleston.
The picture depicts South Charleston; across the river (to the left) is Institute. Down river to the right is Nitro. Up river (to the top) by ten miles is Belle.
"Where is the intersection between the world's deep hunger and your deep gladness?"