Invoking Dow’s ‘toxic Bhopal legacy,’ Olympics watchdog member quits

Meredith Alexander quits to protest Dow Chemical's sponsorship of the London games.

THE row over Dow Chemical’s sponsorship of 2012 London Olympics escalated today with a commissioner of an ethics watchdog for the mega sporting event resigning over the multinational’s links to the Bhopal gas disaster.

Meredith Alexander,who sat on the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012,said she had decided to quit the independent body to draw attention to the “toxic legacy” of Bhopal.

“I don’t want to be party to a defence of Dow Chemicals,the company responsible for one of the worst corporate human rights violations in my generation. It is appalling that 27 years on,the site has still not been cleaned up and thousands of people are still suffering… I believe people should be free to enjoy London 2012 without this toxic legacy on their conscience,” she said.

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Alexander is one of the 13 commissioners — an unpaid post — in the body monitoring the London Olympics. “I think the responsible thing to do would be for Dow to withdraw from the wrap contract. Otherwise London 2012 is undermining its aim to be the most sustainable Games ever and showing contempt for the Bhopal victims,” she said.

Stating that she was resigning on principle,Alexander said to be part of a body that publicly endorsed Dow is “untenable and unacceptable”.

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