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......
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