nuclear-news

India’s Civil Nuclear Liability Bill in doubt, following Bhopal gas case

the same absence of criminal liability in the bill will let suppliers of nuclear technology and equipment in the U.S. go scratch free in case of a nuclear disaster which would be much bigger and dangerous than the gas leak tragedy.

In shadow of Bhopal tragedy, Indian gov’t urged to scrap nuclear liability bill English.news.cn 2010-06-11  NEW DELHI, June 11 (Xinhua) — The recent verdict on the world’ s worst industrial disaster, Bhopal gas leak tragedy, which handed out a meager penalty to the convicts, is casting a shadow on the American hope of the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill from being passed in Indian Parliament…………..

A trial court in Bhopal, capital of India’s central state of Madhya Pradesh, on June 4 sentenced seven officials of former U.S.- based Union Carbide Corporation to two years’imprisonment for criminal negligence in the gas leak. However, they were immediately granted bail. They were also imposed a meager fine of 100,000 rupees (2,000 U.S. dollars).

Anti-nuclear activists and environmentalists are drawing clear parallels with the gas tragedy. They have been criticizing the nature of the bill and accusing it of “protecting the American interest” and ignoring “Indians’ rights”.

The absence of stringent laws in the country enabled former Union Carbide Company escape criminal liability after the gas leak on Dec. 2 to 3, 1984 killed thousands of lives immediately and in years to follow.

Activists fear the same absence of criminal liability in the bill will let suppliers of nuclear technology and equipment in the U.S. go scratch free in case of a nuclear disaster which would be much bigger and dangerous than the gas leak tragedy.

In shadow of Bhopal tragedy, Indian gov’t urged to scrap nuclear liability bill

June 14, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors