Berkeley, CA — Environmental health advocates and global experts are calling on the Indian government to abandon its plan to incinerate toxic waste from the 1984 Bhopal disaster, warning of catastrophic public health risks and environmental harm.
On the 40th year of the world’s deadliest industrial disaster, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), along with scientists, toxicologists, and community leaders, is demanding a comprehensive cleanup plan that prioritizes safer, non-incineration technologies — and insists that Dow Chemical, not Indian taxpayers, foot the bill.
As the owner of Union Carbide, Dow has long been called to pay for the full remediation of the site. Advocates say this moment — the 40th anniversary of the tragedy — is a critical opportunity for India to correct decades of inaction and demand justice.
The government’s proposal to burn 345 metric tons of hazardous waste at a facility in Pithampur is being met with fierce opposition. Critics point out that the Pithampur incinerator failed six of its last seven emissions tests, putting nearby communities at risk of exposure to toxic pollutants. They also argue that incinerating a small fraction of the 700,000 metric tons of contaminated soil, water, and waste left behind in Bhopal is a short-sighted, partial measure that will only spread contamination further.
“Bhopal has already experienced two tragedies: first the accident, then 40 years of neglect,” said Paul Connett, an internationally renowned toxicologist and Zero Waste advocate. “Let us avoid a third tragedy of using an incinerator to deal with the residues. In my view, it is essential to use a closed-loop technology like supercritical water oxidation to treat both the contaminated groundwater and the waste stored in pits and warehouses. This elegant technology represents a better future for Bhopal. Incineration is a very crude and dangerous approach that traps us in the past.”
The 1984 Bhopal gas leak, caused by a leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant (a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical in February 2001), killed thousands within days and left a lasting toxic legacy that has plagued local communities for four decades. Residents continue to live amid contaminated soil, groundwater, and toxic waste. Yet, rather than forcing Dow to pay for comprehensive cleanup, the Indian government is opting for incineration — a method that is dangerous, outdated, and scientifically unjustifiable based on documented evidence worldwide.
“The tragedy at Bhopal continues today because the contamination continues to spread through the groundwater, and contaminated soils are impacting the communities’ health,” said Jane Williams, Executive Director of California Communities Against Toxics. “Now is the time to create a comprehensive plan for the cleanup of the site and take advantage of advances in technologies that can remediate both the groundwater and the contaminated soils.”
GAIA has repeatedly called on India to partner with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to conduct a transparent, science-based assessment of the contaminated water, soils, and waste. Experts are pushing for advanced cleanup methods, such as supercritical water oxidation, that can permanently destroy toxic chemicals without creating harmful emissions. Read the full letter here.
“Experts all over the world agree that this is a terrible idea, and that safe, non-incineration solutions should instead be pursued. We strongly urge the Indian government to stop this plan and finally hold Dow accountable for the tragedy that has loomed over the area for forty years” said Brex Arevalo, Climate and Anti-Incineration Campaigner at GAIA Asia Pacific.
“Incinerating the Bhopal waste would be adding insult to injury,” said Dr. Neil Tangri of GAIA and the University of California, Berkeley. “Incineration of pesticides and their components will create and release new carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds into the air. After 40 years, the people of Bhopal deserve a real clean-up, not a sham that will cause further health problems.”
GAIA argues that the people of Bhopal should not have to endure a “third tragedy” caused by short-term, high-risk cleanup methods. Instead, they are calling on the Indian government to adopt proven, non-incineration technologies and hold Dow accountable for the environmental and health harms that have persisted for four decades.
Press contacts:
Robi Kate Miranda, Communications Officer for Campaigns, Asia Pacific
robi@no-burn.org
María Guillén, Communications Coordinator, US/Canada
mariaguillen@no-burn.org
###
GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries. With our work we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.