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Organization

Union Carbide Corporation

U.S. chemical company; held 50.9 percent of Union Carbide India Ltd. in 1984 and has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow since February 2001.

15 links, 9 backed by primary records. 5 more in open data

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Also known as
UCC, Union Carbide
Wikidata
Q908553
Over time
  1. CEO Warren Anderson 1982–1986
Union Carbide Corporation holds
Legal records

State v. Warren Anderson and others (Crime No. 1104 of 1984)

  1. 1 Dec 1987 Charged by Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, Bhopal: charge sheet filed by the CBI; the company has not appeared in the Indian criminal case 34
  2. 1992 Charged by Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, Bhopal: declared an absconder after it did not appear; its case was split from the others; this is not a verdict 456Union Carbide says the court has no criminal jurisdiction over it and that the charges were quashed by the settlement; the Supreme Court revived the criminal cases in 1991.

Union Carbide Corporation v. Union of India (Civil Appeal Nos. 3187-88 of 1988)

  1. 14 Feb 1989 Settled with Government of India: $470M, in full settlement of all claims, rights and liabilities related to and arising out of the Bhopal Gas disaster 27$425 million from Union Carbide Corporation, less $5 million already paid, and the rupee equivalent of $45 million from Union Carbide India Ltd. The order records a settlement, not a finding of who caused the leak.
  2. 14 Feb 1989 Charge dismissed by Supreme Court of India: criminal proceedings quashed by the settlement order 7

Union Carbide Corporation v. Union of India (review, 1991)

  1. 3 Oct 1991 Decision overturned by Supreme Court of India: quashing of the criminal proceedings set aside on review 2

A charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt.

Connections 15

CEO

  • Warren Anderson 1982–1986 Scholarship & press 89

    Chairman and chief executive; Union Carbide says he was elected in 1982 and retired in 1986.

charged by

  • Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, Bhopal 1 Dec 1987 charge sheet filed by the CBI; the company has not appeared in the Indian criminal case Primary record 34
  • Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, Bhopal 1992 declared an absconder after it did not appear; its case was split from the others; this is not a verdict Scholarship & press 456

    Union Carbide says the court has no criminal jurisdiction over it and that the charges were quashed by the settlement; the Supreme Court revived the criminal cases in 1991.

decision overturned by

charge dismissed by

settled with

  • Government of India 14 Feb 1989 $470M, in full settlement of all claims, rights and liabilities related to and arising out of the Bhopal Gas disaster Primary record 27

    $425 million from Union Carbide Corporation, less $5 million already paid, and the rupee equivalent of $45 million from Union Carbide India Ltd. The order records a settlement, not a finding of who caused the leak.

owns a stake in

acquired by

  • The Dow Chemical Company Feb 2001 Scholarship & press 51011

    Dow says Union Carbide stayed a separate company and Dow took on none of its liabilities; Amnesty International disputes that Dow has no responsibility to see Union Carbide in court.

awarded a contract to

  • Arthur D. Little 1988 a report on the cause of the leak Scholarship & press 12

    According to Amnesty International; Union Carbide calls the firm an independent investigator.

involved in

headquartered in

Timeline 9 dates
  1. 1982–1986 Warren Anderson CEO of Union Carbide Corporation
  2. 1984 Union Carbide Corporation owns a stake in Union Carbide India Limited
  3. 1 Dec 1987 Union Carbide Corporation charged by Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, Bhopal
  4. 1988 Union Carbide Corporation awarded a contract to Arthur D. Little
  5. 14 Feb 1989 Union Carbide Corporation charge dismissed by Supreme Court of India
  6. 14 Feb 1989 Union Carbide Corporation settled with Government of India
  7. 3 Oct 1991 Union Carbide Corporation decision overturned by Supreme Court of India
  8. 1992 Union Carbide Corporation charged by Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, Bhopal
  9. Feb 2001 The Dow Chemical Company acquired Union Carbide Corporation
Proof 12 sources
  1. In re Union Carbide Corporation Gas Plant Disaster at Bhopal, India in December, 1984, 809 F.2d 195 (2d Cir. 1987) (copy posted by Union Carbide), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 14 Jan 1987. Primary record
    Fifty and nine-tenths percent of its stock is owned by UCC, 22% is owned or controlled by the government of India, and the balance is held by approximately 23,500 Indian citizens.
  2. Union of India v. Union Carbide Corporation, curative petitions, order of 14 March 2023 (LiveLaw copy of the order), Supreme Court of India (text via LiveLaw), 14 Mar 2023. Primary record
    UCC was a New York based corporation which owned 50.9% stock in UCIL at the time of the tragedy.
    UCC agreed to pay a sum of US $ 470 million to the Union of India in settlement of all claims, rights, and liabilities relating to and arising out of the Bhopal Gas disaster.
    The extinguishment of criminal liabilities by the settlement was held to not be appropriate and thus, that aspect of the original order was reviewed.
    Naturally, the present petitions have been strongly opposed by UCC
    The order however recorded UCC’s statement that it shall consent to submit to the jurisdiction of the Courts of India.
    This prayer received a favourable consideration from the District Judge, who passed an interim order on 17.12.1987 directing UCC to deposit a sum of Rs. 350 crores by way of interim compensation.
  3. C.B.I. v. Keshub Mahindra, curative petitions (Criminal) 39-42 of 2010, order of 11 May 2011, Supreme Court of India, 11 May 2011. Primary record
    the Court was also unable to bring before it the other two companies, UCC and Union Carbide Eastern Inc., accused Nos. 10 and 11.
  4. Chronology of events in Bhopal gas tragedy case, Press Trust of India (via ThePrint), 14 Mar 2023. Scholarship & press
    CBI files charge sheet against Anderson and other accused, including UCC (USA), Union Carbide (Eastern) Hong Kong, and UCIL.
    May 25, 1992 : CJM Bhopal separates the trial of Anderson, Union Carbide Corporation (USA) and Union Carbide Eastern Inc. (Hong Kong) from that of the other accused persons.
  5. The Bhopal tragedy: 30 years of injustice for victims and survivors (written statement to the UN Human Rights Council, ASA 20/003/2014), Amnesty International, 17 Feb 2014. Scholarship & press
    The Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) Court in Bhopal has declared UCC to be an absconder from justice.
    In 2001, UCC was bought by The Dow Chemical Company (Dow).
  6. Litigation & Rulings (Bhopal), Union Carbide Corporation. Self-published
    The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bhopal (CJM), declared them absconders and directed that a warrant be issued against Mr. Anderson to initiate proceedings for extradition.
    After nine years of contentious litigation and discovery, however, all that the evidence in this case demonstrates is that UCC is not that entity.
  7. Union Carbide Corporation v. Union of India, orders of 14 and 15 February 1989 (IELRC copy, not the official version), International Environmental Law Research Centre (text of a Supreme Court of India order), 15 Feb 1989. Primary record
    The Union Carbide Corporation shall pay a sum of U.S. Dollars 470 millions (Four hundred and seventy Millions) to the Union of India in full settlement of all claims, rights and liabilities related to and arising out of the Bhopal Gas disaster.
    all criminal proceedings related to and arising out of the disaster shall stand quashed wherever these may be pending.
    A sum of U.S. $ 425 Millions (four Hundred and Twenty five Millions) shall be paid on or before 23 March, 1989 by Union Carbide Corporation to the Union of India
  8. CEO blamed for Bhopal gas disaster dies, Al Jazeera, 31 Oct 2014. Scholarship & press
    Warren Anderson, the chairman and chief executive of the US company blamed for the 1984 poisonous gas leak that killed thousands of people in the Indian city of Bhopal, died in a nursing home on September 29, according to public records.
  9. Overview of Bhopal Tragedy, with chronology, Union Carbide Corporation. Self-published
    He was elected chairman of the board and chief executive officer in 1982. He retired in 1986.
  10. Dow & Bhopal Tragedy, The Dow Chemical Company. Self-published
    UCC became a wholly owned subsidiary of TDCC in February 2001.
  11. Criminal Proceedings (Bhopal), The Dow Chemical Company. Self-published
    the 2001 transaction in which TDCC acquired UCC’s stock resulted in UCC remaining a separate corporate entity responsible for its own debts and obligations.
  12. Clouds of Injustice: Bhopal Disaster 20 Years On, Amnesty International, 29 Nov 2004. Scholarship & press
    commissioned a report by the international consulting group Arthur D. Little, written by Dr Ashok Kalelkar and published in May 1988.
    Based in Danbury, Connecticut, USA
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