Dow Chemical Bewildered By Olympic Sponsorship Opposition

Dow Chemical Chairman and Chief Executive Andrew Liveris has claimed that the ever mounting pressure over their 2012 London Olympic Sponsorship is ‘beyond belief’ considering that they weren’t involved in the 1984 Bhopal disaster, the root of all the protests.

Dow purchased United States chemical firm Union Carbide, whose toxic gas leakage caused the deaths of thousands of people. Following the incident, the chemical firm paid the Indian Government $470 million (£310 million/€351 million) to settle its liabilities.

To the disbelief of Liveris, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop Dow Chemical as a sponsor and have even threatened to withdraw their athletes if they fail to comply. Liveris said: “It was not us

“The fact that you can speak back with science and fact rather than emotion and hysteria is your only defence.

“We are on the ground there [in India] describing to everyone that will listen to us, including the newspapers, what our involvement is with the Olympics and what our involvement wasn’t with Bhopal.

“To keep coming back to the notion that you acquire a company where there is a bright line on the liability that was settled way beyond your time, and to hook you into that event, it’s beyond belief that people are still trying that.

“The obvious reason people are trying that is because we are a healthy company with deep pockets that people want a second bite of the cherry on.

“I keep saying, ‘Please go to India, please talk to the Government of India and please work it out with them’.

“We are very proud to be associated [with the Olympics] and for that matter, the IOC is very proud to have us.”