On December 3, 1984, one of the worst industrial disasters of all time occurred in Bhopal, India. During the early hours of the morning a poisonous gas, methyl isocyanate (MIC), used in producing the pesticide, Sevin, leaked from a Union Carbide plant. When the gas dissipated it had killed at least 2,000 people and injured over 200,000 others. Under Indian law both a corporation and its officers can be held criminally liable. The Indian Government arrested the plant manager on charges of "culpable homicide through negligence." When Warren Anderson, Chairman of the Board of Union Carbide arrived in India from the United States, he was charged with "negligence and criminal corporate liability" and "criminal conspiracy."
The pesticide, Sevin, which Union Carbide made at Bhopal, was distributed in India. It is used on corn, soybeans, cotton, alfalfa, and other crops. Its use in India resulted in crop yields of about 10 percent higher than before the pesticide was used. This meant food for about 70,000,000 Indians who would otherwise have faced starvation or severe malnutrition. Union Carbide did not build the plant in Bhopal to increase profits. It could have supplied India with Sevin made in the United States more cheaply than it was able to produce it in India. In 1984, the Bhopal plant operated at a loss. It was underutilized, producing only one-third of its capacity. It was reducing costs through manpower reductions, and it was up for sale. The plant was entirely run by Indian managers who operated the company as a separate entity.
There were five safety devices installed to prevent what happened on December 3, 1984: a vent gas scrubber, a flare tower, a water curtain, a refrigerat ...