Dow Chemicals Shareholders in Indaver
cork |
environment |
news report 
Sunday December 03, 2006 23:20
by Linda Fitzpatrick - CHASE
INCINERATOR ON SANTA'S NAUGHTY LIST
Today (Sun 3 Dec, 2006, 11.30am), in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork members of communities from around Cork Harbour were joined by public representatives on 22nd Anniversary of the Bhopal Disaster (India 1984), to highlight that Dow Chemicals incorporating Union Carbide Corporation, are shareholders of Indaver, the company that intends to unleash a cocktail of toxic chemicals on the Cork Harbour communities.
A short ceremony took place to remember the 20,000 victims of Bhopal as part of a Santa Scramble organised by CHASE to raise funds for the ongoing campaign to stop a 100,000 tonne hazardous waste incinerator and a 100,000 tonne municipal waste incinerator being built in Ringaskiddy.
A delegation of Santas delivered a clear message that the incinerator issue has put the Government and the incinerator firmly on Santa’s naughty list. Public representatives taking part included Dan Boyle TD (Green Party) and Cllr Ciaran Lynch deputising for the Lord Mayor, who started the event.
Speaking at the proposed Incinerator Site, Chairperson Mary O’Leary said “We are appalled that companies with a track record such as Dow Chemicals would have a say in key decisions in the future of Cork Harbour if this incinerator proceeds, it must not be allowed to happen. Dow Chemicals with an already shameful environmental track record, abdicated responsibility for the victims of the Bhopal Disaster. People are still suffering because of this. We will be making a donation to the Victims of Bhopal fund as a token of solidarity with these people.
This campaign is a campaign to protect Cork Harbour and our health, because An Bord Pleanala (against their Inspector's advice), the Irish Government, and the EPA have abdicated their responsibility to do so.”
The Flemish Government, employee shareholders and 23 Corporate Shareholders, one of whom is Dow Chemicals, own Indaver. The largest private shareholder (14.9 %) is Belgian energy giant Electrabel, which owns and operates power-generating stations across Europe, including Nuclear Power Stations in France and Belgium.
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2The backing of Indaver by a shareholder responsible for the Bhopal tragedy says it all.
It might explain how Indaver got their hands on the site thought protect by Cork's development plan. However, a much more interesting question is how did they get this site from Ispat, days before it went bankcrupt., costing the taxpayer over 30 million to clean up the Ispat site.
It still does not explain how the EPA allowed a licence for a hazardous installation on a flooding site. Nor how they allowed themselves to be compromised by the appointment of Indaver's then Project Manager to their board.
If developments don't get examined for risks to health at the planning stage you end up with the citizens having to go to court for justice, or protesting on the streets to be heard. .
Indaver came in here with their arms open saying they'd tell us everything, anwser any question.
Well, I didn't hear John Ahern say that Dow were their shareholders, nor that they had Nuclear Power interests owning them.
I'd like to know who the other 21 shareholders are. A sparkling clean shower no doubt. Or if they were, wouldn't we know who they are already.
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