By Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette

“CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two Institute-area residents on Wednesday sued Bayer CropScience, alleging repeated leaks and other accidents at the company’s sprawling chemical plant made them sick and put them at risk of future illnesses.”

“Sue Davis and Donna Willis seek monetary damages, future medical monitoring and a federal court order barring Bayer from making “inherently unsafe” chemicals “in close proximity” to the community.”

“The suits were filed on their behalf in Kanawha Circuit Court by Charleston lawyer William V. DePaulo, who previously represented a group of residents who sued to prevent Bayer from resuming production of the deadly chemical methyl isocyanate, or MIC, at the Institute facility.”

To read the full article, please go to The Charleston Gazette.

“If IST becomes mandatory, it is possible that public policy could force manufacturers to move their facilities offshore to places where regulations are more lax,” Sloan told C&EN. He notes that Bayer CropScience recently shifted its U.S. production of methyl isocyanate to China.

Read more here.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Most of the residents who sued to stop Bayer CropScience from restarting the methyl isocyanate unit at its Institute plant have voluntarily dismissed other potential claims against the company.

By Ken Ward Jr.
Staff writer

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The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a new safety video depicting events leading to the Aug. 28, 2008, catastrophic explosion and fire at the Bayer CropScience facility in Institute, W.Va., that fatally injured two workers.

The video is titled “Fire in the Valley,” a reference to the Kanawha River valley where numerous chemical facilities are located, including the Bayer plant that manufactures insecticides, near Charleston, W.Va.

The video features a computer animation showing how a series of errors and deficiencies during a lengthy startup process resulted in a runaway chemical reaction inside a residue treater pressure vessel. CSB’s investigation found that operators were not adequately trained, new computer process equipment had not been fully checked out and a critical safety interlock was bypassed to begin a chemical reaction.

For more information, please read the full article on the ehstoday website by clicking HERE.

FREE FILM SHOWINGS
*SATURDAY, MARCH 26th at 8PM (CASASANTA, 122 N. Court St., Lewisburg)
*MONDAY, MARCH 28th at 7PM (WV STATE UNIVERSITY – DAVIS FINE ARTS THEATRE, Institute)

BHOPALI documents the experience of second generation children affected by the Union Carbide gas disaster of 1984, the worst industrial disaster in history, and subsequent contamination of groundwater by Union Carbide Corporation (an American company now owned by Dow Chemical, the second largest chemical company in the world). It follows several children as they and their families cope with the ongoing medical and social disaster, as well as their memories of that traumatizing night that shocked the world and changed Bhopal forever. Set against the backdrop of vehement protests for the 25th anniversary of the disaster, the Bhopalis continue to fight for justice, proving to be anything but victims.

Survivor Sanjay Verma, who was only five months when the disaster happened, is featured in the film and will present to answer questions after the film.

Donations support the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal
and People Concerned About MIC.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A federal judge expressed skepticism on Monday about the remaining claims in a lawsuit filed against the Bayer CropScience plant in Institute by 16 Kanawha Valley residents.

U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin said documents filed so far in the case don’t appear to him to meet the legal requirements for the residents to pursue their claims.

“There is a requirement for pleading a tort that there be wrongful conduct causing harm,” Goodwin said during a hearing this morning. “Wrongful conduct alone won’t get it. Harm alone won’t get it. You have to have that connection.”

To read the full story, please go to The Charleston Gazette.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Bayer CropScience has decided not to restart the unit that makes the deadly chemical methyl isocyanate at its Institute plant, officials revealed today.

Al Emch, a lawyer for the company, told a federal judge that Bayer officials in Germany did not want to restart the MIC unit while there was an ongoing government inspection of the facility.

For more information, please see the full article at The Charleston Gazette.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A federal judge wants Bayer CropScience and Kanawha Valley residents who are suing the company to identify what documents in the case should be concealed from the public and the news media.

U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin told lawyers for both sides to submit detailed lists along with the specific legal arguments that they believe would allow any of the documents used as evidence in the case to be sealed.

Go to The Charleston Gazette to read the full story: http://wvgazette.com/News/201103150502