Bhopal Gas Case : Carbide Seeking Individual Settlements

Union Carbide Corp, which has been unable to settle litigation with the Indian government over the Bhopal poison gas disaster, said Monday that it is seeking out-of-court agreements with individual victims.

“We would consider reasonable settlements with proven victims,” said Earl Slack, a spokesman for the Danbury, Conn.-based chemical company. Slack said the total amount that would be paid to individuals would be “less than $350 million.”

India is suing Carbide for $3.3 billion for the 1984 gas leak at the company’s Bhopal subsidiary that killed more than 2,500 people. The government charges that the tragedy, one of the worst industrial accidents in history, was caused by poor plant maintenance and bad management. However, Carbide said the leak was the work of a disgruntled employee who sabotaged the plant’s operations.

“Basically, we would like to see aid go to the victims, instead of dragging it out,” Slack said about the long-running litigation. “We strongly believe that the Indian government should not deny individual attempts to settle the cases if they want,” Slack said.

Late last year, negotiations for a settlement over the suit collapsed after several weeks of optimism that an accord could be reached.

Last week, the Indian government filed a petition asking the Bhopal District Court to issue an injunction blocking Carbide from reaching any out-of-court settlements in the United States with victims of the gas leak. The petition will be heard in Bhopal District Court on June 29.