Most catastrophic environmental disasters and crimes

World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5

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On December 3, 1984, a poisonous gas spill at an enterprise owned by US Union Carbide killed over 3,000 people in Bhopal, India. The death toll rose later to over 20,000 people.

Around 500,000 people still suffer from chronicle respiratory diseases.

The investigation showed that the tragedy happened due to a gross violation of safety regulations by the administration of the factory. In 1989 Union Carbide paid $470 million to the Indian government

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker owned by Exxon Corporation (USA; ExxonMobil Corporation since 2009) struck a reef and spilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels of crude oil in Alaska

As a result of the spill, over 300 kilometers of coastline were covered with oil. Fishing ceased for several years in the Prince William Sound

The incident had been considered the most terrible ecological disaster in the ocean until the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010

The investigation estimated that there was no malfunction on the tanker, and human factor was named as the cause of the incident. The court set a fine of over $500 million

On January 2000 a 8,000 barrel oil spill happened in Guanabara Bay in Brazil from the oil refinery at Duque de Caxias (REDUC) operated by Petrobras. It’s the biggest environmental disaster in the history of Rio de Janeiro

In July 2000 another disaster happened at an oil platform owned by Petrobras in the Brazilian state of Parana. Over 24,000 barrels of oil were spilled into the Iguazu River

There was a threat of drinking water contamination for several cities. The company paid a $56 million fine to the central government budget and a $30 million fine to the state budget

On August 7, 2009, the Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam in Russia’s Siberia suffered a catastrophic industrial disaster, when the engine and turbine rooms were flooded, which caused an underwater explosion.

The disaster killed 75 people and injured 13. About 50 tonnes of turbine oil got spilled into the Yenisei River

The damage was estimated at over $13 million

On april 20, 2010 an explosion at the Deepwater Horizonoil platform of the Swiss company Transocean Ltd. (operated by BP) in the Gulf of Mexico caused a major oil spill

11 people died and 17 were injured as a result of the disaster. Over 4,9 million barrels were spilled in the ocean

The disaster caused huge damage to the nature of the region

In November 2012 BP pleaded guilty on all charges by the US Justice Department. The company paid a $4,5 billion fine, though the losses of the company amounted to over $45 billion.

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5. It aims at raising global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature.

The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. Since 1973, it is hosted every year by a different city with a different theme. This year it's 'Raise your voice, not the sea level'.