393726 Bhopal 30 Years Later

Wednesday, April 29, 2015: 3:45 PM
Ballroom D (Austin Convention Center)
Ronald J. Willey, Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA and Daniel A. Crowl, Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI

On the early morning of December 3rd 1984 a large release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas occurred in a pesticide production plant located in Bhopal, India.  The plant was partially owned by Union Carbide (USA) and its affiliate Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL).  Thousands of people died and approximately 200,000 were exposed to the MIC gas in that early morning.

This paper reviews the prevailing accident theories, the chronology of events that occurred after the accident, the industry and regulatory response after the accident, and the current state of the Bhopal site.


Extended Abstract: File Uploaded
See more of this Session: Case Histories and Lessons Learned
See more of this Group/Topical: Global Congress on Process Safety