Responsible Shopper Profile:

Responsible Shopper Profile:: "Toxic Emissions or Discharges In March 2003 twenty-six Saginaw County residents filed a class-action lawsuit against Dow Chemical, saying dioxin contamination caused by its Midland manufacturing plant has threatened their health and left their property worthless. In 1995 areas around the plant began reporting elevated incidences of dioxins -- chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, and disruption of hormone and immune systems. Dow denies that the plant, which produced mustard gas, Agent Orange, napalm, and pesticides, was the source of the dioxins even though a 1986 flood caused the plant's wastewater containment situated on the banks of the Tittabawassee River to overflow distributing waste from the plant downstream. Source: Living on Earth, Mar. 15, 2002/AP Mar. 26, 2003 "

Health and Safety In February 2004 about 100 banana workers injured by contact with agro-chemicals used by US multinationals began a hunger strike in Nicaragua. The workers called on President Enrique Bolanos to support their demands for compensation from the multinationals. Since 1998 some 17,500 former farm workers from the northern Chinandega province have launched actions against eight US multinationals that either used or manufactured the pesticide Nemagon in Latin America in the 1970s. Use of Nemagon was banned in the 1960s after it was proven to be create health effects ranging from migraines, vision loss, liver and/or kidney damage, infertility, cancer, miscarriage and birth defects. The firms involved are Dole, Shell, Chiquita Brands International, Standard Fruit Company, Del Monte Tropical Fruit Company, Occidental Chemical Corporation, Dow Agrom Sciences and del Monte Foods. Source: World Markets Analysis, 2-18-04/LabourNet.org

Toxic Emissions or Discharges In April 2002, Dow offered $3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the environmental group San Francisco BayKeeper that alleged the company illegally discharged contaminated water into California's New York Slough, which eventually reached San Francisco Bay. As part of the settlement, which was approved by the Contra Costa County Superior Court , the company will also treat a contaminated groundwater plume under 200 acres of its Sacramento-San Joaquin River property with bioremediation. Source: San Francisco Chronicle, April 4, 2002

In April 2003 ...life insurance policies it took out on 20,000 employees in 1988 and 1991. Source: AFX News, April 3, 2003
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