Document 9180VKBJvxyd63Qad3nK628JL

, 0 r-i ' / / f a r b <u oV) a TQ353J 0C*/O> LO 6 c4o) *o-> t-- to Chemical firms struggle to rebuild image -- O 00 X> 0) Q . C cn 3aa a JC wco --c 3 3 <A c . . eoos O 4 U w b O C 3 *j --COC3O C UCOi a> c<u CO o -I -O to J3cC=O-J>Co44EcD) CO_ 3>2cwo CO* >1 O c 44>J OX J4=) cCoO3J2 >3 CC J3 GO C cO CL cO C*O- O - x: P2 b CO CO > 3C wCL_ E* -. O By ROBERT GFTTLIN NfwMoust Nrws s r tv c t WASHINGTON - Since the release of deadly gas one year ago from a Union Carbide pesti cide plant in Bhopal, India, the chemical indus try has sought to repair its tarnished public im age in U.S. com m unities where plants are located. Industry officials insist that the Dec. 3, 1984, disaster in Bhopal, which caused a t least 1,750 deaths and sickened about 300.000 persons, has forced U.S. com panies to be m ore open about the chemicals that are produced, stored and sometimes released into the environment near their plants.4 For an industry that is more used to guarding information about its products, the new ap proach has been difficult. Some firm s have ab stained from any image-building, while others, like Dow Chemical Co., have spent millions of dollars on public relations, including network television ads. Moreover, environmental groups and legisla tors in Congress say the industry hasn't done enough to help residents of plant communities understand the dangers they face in an acci dent. " We recognize that we have a problem, th at Bhopal was damaging to our im age," said Jef frey C. Van, spokesman for the Chemical Man ufacturers Association, whose m em bers ac count for 90 percent of the production of basic chem icals in the U.S. and Canada. " Our job is to rebuild our reputation and we are doing this around the country. By making our industry more open, we can cut through the perceived mystery about what we do." The Industry's cam paign has centered, In part, on a Community Awareness and E m er gency Response program , which is designed to get plant m anagers involved in explaining what goes on at their facilities. Some com panies also are releasinlg information from internal safety audits. *. " In the last year this industry has undergone more scrutiny than any year before," said Richard K. Long, m anager of external com m u nications for Dow Chemical. " It's been m ore than during Love Canal and the beginning of the debate over Superfund," he said, referring to the discovery in the 1970s of the Love Canal See Im a g e , B4 7*35 *C w4) c4>ocx -;J E OS Oc 'S COO Ego, >c S a 4 CO P in t J n r r lm Guild, h r IMS U oo 1g*?8 la 11I53 1 ftr CO OC D z u _L 4) 3X o. 4) b X3 W* o f 3 3 CCO c3x CcO es Ja VI 4 ; x: ca 53 .2V 8b gQ. *q o -- 00 r 4> 2 g o o > -- X2 E >1 3g Xi3w0 X 3 oxS 3c2r awco-: *.or5-t o -*-> > ^E .E x: o a " Q CO -- 2 x W O 4> E *3 Es J 2 E o S) < " ; 4) . 2 2? TJ 4 3 s2 1 -- <u >> o J* O0 a .5 <u ab Oo . oca o C o 111 2 H co o cOoa 4>) t 2 C3 ^ CO C O . CO xa2: 3c3 bc5 a 4) <>0> >. 0o0 V) 1 -c-o A) cC JS xo: CO 2 0o.. 1 CO (A O t 4) c 2 O .3 COL C3 c 10 Z C o 2 B> > C bxj 3 iS g W c 3 -S b4 . xCO: X2 Vw 3ti E CO c 4) oE 2 i *-j 2 5 1^^Cu y ! 30J 8- S) o M 2co oU) SwJ TCOTJ-J M^ Z a s Xo w ssJ=!E y 4) C>2 GCO1>v/5i>" 5 b CO o co S3 7o-2 CO 2 Ir- co _To E O ^ GO oc bw CU-- GO r i 23 E JS o x: o O 3c E > COTJ -0.-2 S3 Q. C 2 -O 23 _O goa c g S! 2 44S3-J2S a W^ - aO r CB^ b ar* 5 ieu 4c*-O* fzerb ' . a . 2 C m, co I5 aa 4> 2^ O3 4c>1I co w oC) TcE3 4> "O T i 3 41 4>) X5 3 E E :w TaO3 co J a 2. O u --2o 23- to --CO XSJ T3 4) a GO C i J2 o x c *53o > > 0 O3 o s 4> O. o cXo 3CcoA 4C-A1 i 2 x : C > `I :3 O^ .42> C ^ co >> E4CJJ OKUo) 5 -r b _TJ *bo-* 3 3 r- co O >> xc 3 a 00 ti 4> GO.5 gCLx: .5 3 b 4> 4c) . 2 2 = S O CO o 3^ 4) 4b )^ E3 ceOI .a w is ^=5 JCO 4CO->J T4J) -g A>) 4J U^E eoa >> 5ri 3 w C * ^ | (A E c -*Cc4 i3 CA CO QO . 3O I co x: T4O --eoI-C3LH cC *5 C3 .5 3 O 3 8 CA 6bO. Cx<Qb: 28 ^ 4-1 -CO C 4) _CO T3 g >CoJ> o. "o .2 X4) or>v x4->u: ,2 | >xwjJ go4 . --**w- > 3 CO > , 3 'O.