HINDUSTHAN LEVER LTD

HLL’s Folly: Mercury Spill

In
Kodaikanal

Presented By
Team 1

Abhisekh Rai
Apurv Sinha
Nicky Shalini
Ashwin Jayaram
Divya Dinesh
Rumana Hasan
 INTRODUCTION

 On March 2001, the multinational Hindustan

Lever Ltd ( HLL) was caught red-handed by the
residents of Kodaikanal, when they found a
dumpsite with toxic mercury-laced waste
from the company’s thermometer factory
located in the heart of the town

 7.4 ton of crushed mercury containing glass was

spilled in a busy scrap yard located near a school

 Such an exposure marked the beginning of an

ongoing saga of dishonesty, by Unilever’s Indian
subsidiary, Hindustan Lever Ltd.
 It was estimated that 32,000 people were
affected, living in Kodaikanal

 It let to the death of ten workers while it was

functioning, and Greenpeace , a global NGO
committed to environmental protection, claimed
that the deaths were due to mercury poisoning

 Symptoms reported by ex workers were fatigue,

headaches, nausea, blurred vision, respiratory
disorders, central nervous system problems such
as loss of memory and the like.
 HISTORY OF HLL FACTORY

 The factory was originally located in New York

but was shut down for environmental reasons

 US-based Chesebrough Pond’s relocated its

aging mercury thermometer factory from
Watertown, New York to Kodaikanal in 1983

 The factory was acquired by Unilever

 It bought Chesebrough Pond’s owner of HLL,

which is Unilever’s 51 percent owned Indian
subsidiary.
 It was said to be the largest thermometer plant in
the world

 Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch FMCG giant, imported all

the glass and mercury for the thermometers from
the US and exported all the finished thermometers
to the US based Faichney Medical Co. which in turn
exported them to markets in the US,UK, Canada ,
Australia, Germany and Spain.
 Investigations proved that the factory buried
glass scrap on the site after appropriate
regulatory approvals.

 The slopes where the wastes are dumped are

part of the Pambar Shola watershed, which is
a stream which runs through the forests
below the back wall of the factory.
 Damage to Workers and Environment

 It was reported that 600- 800 workers were exposed to

mercury
 Management Negligence played a key role
 20 workers have died to poisoning in the factory

 People in the vicinity of the Factory suffered from Skin

diseases, Headaches, Stomach pain etc
 Poisonous vapour carrying mercury travelled across the town
HLL’s Response to Complaints

 After many denials & cover-ups the company agreed that it

shipped out 5.3 tonnes of mercury waste to scrap yard
 HLL’s response to the complaints was transparent and the
persons responsible for breach were indentified & penalized
 A new manager, R. John was appointed to defend the Factory
administration
 Manufacturing operations were suspended on March 2001 &
glass scrap yard was shifted to a more secure place
 An environmental audit was commissioned by HLL
 It appointed Well-known URS Dames & Moore of Aus to
conduct a detailed environmental audit
 The result showed that 300 kg of mercury was disposed to the
Pambar Sholas Forest and another 700 kg of waste through
air
 Another notable International expert Dr P.N Vishwanath
found no evidence to risks caused due to mercury
 HLL EXIT FROM THERMOMETER
PRODUCTION
 Hindustan Lever Ltd also decided to exit from the thermometer
business in January 2001 because it was not core company

 Thecompany’s core business is the manufacture and marketing of

soap , detergents , skin care products , deodorants , food and
beverages etc

 The TNPCB ordered the factory to close down and clean up the
toxic mess the company had created

 Thecompany sent back at least 300 tones of the toxic material to

the United States in 2006
 Role of ngo’S in making hll redress
public grievances
 The NGOs left no stones unturned to mobilize public opinion and to pressure
TNPCB and the TN government to compel HLL to make amends for its acts of
commission and omission in unlawful disposal of the hazardous toxic waste
and in the exposure of workers to potentially dangerous work environment

 The NGOs were also responsible to form the TN alliance against mercury
(TAAM), which tried to identify and contain contaminated soil

 The NGOs were also behind the former workers approaching the supreme
court of India in 2005, demanding compensation from HLL for loss of their
jobs and health hazards the suffered

 The most laudable part of NGOs role is the novel and dramatic manner in
which the kept they mercury waste spill issue alive throughout, by using a
variegated set of measures available to them.
Where does the truth lie ?

 High levels of mercury seen to as far as 20 kms

 Reports of atmospheric mercury outside HLL factory site
 Amounts of mercury found along the hills surrounding
Kodaikanal lake
 Mercury may be transferred into the wider eco-system
 HLL – denied the allegations
 Admitted to 5.3 tonnes of mercury containing glass wastes
lying at the Munjikal scrap yard came from HLL factory
 HLL promised to track, retrieve and clear such other waste
 NGOs demanded justice from HLL for the damage
Ultimate demand to Government

 Initiate legal action against HLL

 Take serious action against the factory inspectors
 Initiate long term studies to monitor the impact of mercury
on the eco-system
 Order HLL to make enquiry into the impact of mercury on the
health of people and remedies
 Compensate the families of dead workers
 Permanently destroy the mercury found in HLL’s waste
 CONCLUSION
 HLL Plant had adversely effected the entire Kodaikanal
environment.
 There are evidence that can prove that mercury emitted from the
plant had far larger impact than revealed by the expert
commissioned by HLL.
 HLL yet to have submit the complete clean-up protocols to TNPCB.
 Mercury is still prevalent in the atmosphere through the discarded
factory scraps.
 The Environment is badly effected.
 Hindustan Lever’s behavior violates the environmental principles
of the UN Global Compact.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question 1 - Trace the history of the establishment of Kodaikanal

thermometer factory and how it came into the adverse
view of the NGO’s, the public and the TNPCB?

Answer - History of the factory is as follows:-

 Originally a New York based company whish was shutdown there

due to environmental reasons.

 It was then relocated from Watertown, New York to Kodaikanal,

Tamil Nadu in 1983.

 The factory was acquired by Unilever, after it bought

Chesebourgh Pond’s owner of HLL, which is Unilever’s owned

Indian subsidiary.
 Reasons to come into the adverse view of the NGOs, the
public and the TNPCB are:-
 Mercury is a toxic metal which can cause tremendous health
problems to people living nearby and even far away.
 More than 400 residents of Kodaikanal caught HLL red-
handed dumping toxic mercury-laced waste .
Question 2 - How did Hindustan Lever Ltd. Respond to the initial complaints
of various stakeholders that the company had adopted a callous attitude
towards the disposal of Hazardous mercury-laden waste? What type of
strategy did the company adopt when it realized that the entire fault lay
in the carelessness of the factory’s administration?
Answer - Response of HLL regarding Initial Complaints :-
 HLL sought to dismiss the Complaints.
 Company responded that they were characterized by denials, cover-ups
and lack of transparency.
 Records of any mercury waste leaving the factory were kept meticulously.
Strategies adopted by the company after realizing the fault:-
 HLL duly informed TNPCB of the details of the mercury
disposals.
 The persons involved in the event were identified and
penalized, the penalty depend on the severity of the offence
committed.
 A new factory manager, R. John George who knew the local
language, Tamil was appointed.
Question 3 - What was the role of NGOs in bringing to light HLL’s
dumping of mercury waste in various parts of Kodaikanal
locality? To what extent were they able to get justice to the
affected workers and the general public?

Answer - NGOs played an important role in avoiding the serious

incident that could have taken place if proper action would
not have been taken before by the NGOs:-
 NGOs played active role in turning all the stones to mobilize

the public opinion and to pressurize TNPCB and Tamil Nadu’s

government to force HLL to stop the hazardous activities.
 NGOs galvanized worker, concerned citizens, and

environmental activists to force the factory to suspend their

operations.
 NGOs are also responsible to form the Tamil Nadu Alliance
Mercury(TAAM).
 Help in the investigation regarding the atmospheric examinations.
 NGOs also helped former workers approaching the Supreme Court
of India in 2005
 The NGOs with their continuous demand and incessant ensured
the livelihoods of workers that are put to risk by HLL.
 As a result the damages caused to the workers, the community
and ecology of the Kodaikanal town was compensated adequately.
 The NGOs kept the issue alive throughout.
Question 4 - Explain in your own words the HLL Kodaikanal
mercury spill controversy. What is the present status of the
controversy?
Answer -The HLL situated in Kodaikanal was caught red
handed by the residents of that place when it was found a
dumpsite with toxic mercury-laced waste from the
company’s thermometer factory of HLL.
 It was found near a school the 7.4 ton stock pile of crushed
mercury containing glass in torn sacks, spilling onto the
ground
 Even after 5 years of being caught the HLL has not submitted
the complete clean up protocols to the TNPCB
 It is also noted that the mercury is still prevalent in the
atmosphere because the discarded factory scraps and
contaminated vegetation re-emit absorbed mercury
Question 5 - What kind of roles have NGOs such as
Greenpeace India, played in bringing to the open the issue
of HLL’s spill of toxic mercury waste in and around
Kodaikanal hills? Did it have the desired impact in your
view?
Answer: the roles played by the NGO’s are:
 Mobilized public opinions to pressurize the
government for compelling hll to make
amendments for its acts of commission and
omission in the unlawful disposal of the toxic waste
 It galvanized workers, concerned citizens and
environmental activist to force the factory to
suspend its operations in march 2001
 It also formed the TN alliance against mercury
which tried to find out contaminated soils.
 According to us, the NGO had played a very vital role
in this issue because of it the HLL saw the reason and
took some corrective measures.
 It helped the former workers to approach the
Supreme Court of India in 2005, demanding
compensation for the loss of job and health from HLL
Question 6 - How would you reconcile diametrically opposite views
held by hll –assigned scientists and those appointed by the
government and NGOs about the quantity and the toxic nature of
the spilled mercury waste and its impact on the failure ecology of
Kodaikanal hills? Was there any meeting point at all between
these two viewpoints?

Answer - The scientist appointed by hll admitted that the discharge of

mercury to the Pambar Shola forest was approximately 300 kg

 HLL appointed consultants who said that about 700 kg of mercury
waste were released through air-bone emissions
 An expert of eco-toxicology of mercury appointed by hll could not
find any evidence to risks caused by mercury either to human or to
environment
 The scientists appointed by the government and NGOs however
found the concentrations of mercury up to 1.32 µg/ m^3 which
was about thousand times higher than in the areas that were not
contaminated.
 So by the above mentioned findings it become very clear that the
viewpoints of both the scientist one appointed by hll and other by
the government was totally opposite to each other and did not had
any meeting points.
Thank You