December 7, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2895 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS COMMEMORATING THE 25TH ANNI- Last year, along with 15 of my colleagues I doing his job. However, in my mind, Jameson, VERSARY OF THE BHOPAL GAS wrote to Prime Minister Singh to express sup- and all of the men and women who volunteer DISASTER port for the people of Bhopal and urged him to serve in our Nation’s Armed Forces are he- to personally meet with survivor groups to ad- roes. Dedicating themselves to protecting the HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR. dress the long-standing demands for justice. freedoms and values we all cherish, they often OF NEW JERSEY We expressed our hope that the Indian Gov- give up much of themselves—and that is par- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ernment would pursue Union Carbide and ticularly true for those who have served in Monday, December 7, 2009 Dow Chemical for their civil and criminal liabil- combat. Corporal Jameson Charest is a very ities in the country. special young man who certainly deserves our Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today We argued the victims of the Bhopal trag- respect, our gratitude, and our admiration. He to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the edy were right and deserving in their request is a source of inspiration to all of those fortu- Bhopal gas disaster. On December 3, 1984, for a commission to execute social, economic, nate enough to know him. 27 tons of deadly gases spewed out of the and medical rehabilitation, implement an envi- For now, Corporal Jameson Charest has Union Carbide plant, forming a cloud of poi- ronmental clean-up of the polluted land, and come home and it is certainly cause for cele- sonous gas over Bhopal, India. As a result, provide funding for clean drinking water. bration. I am so proud to stand today and join 8,000 people lost their lives. In total, the dead- Today, thousands remember the lives lost in his parents, Karen and Denis, as well as all of ly effects of this disaster have left 20,000 dead Bhopal and protest the current inaction and those who have gathered this evening to wel- and another 20,000 with chronic illness. lack of responsibility associated with the Bho- A 2003 study by the highly regarded Journal come our hero home and to wish him all the of the American Medical Association found pal disaster. I hope that my colleagues will join best as he continues his service as a United that children born to parents affected by this me remembering the lives that were need- States marine. disaster still suffer the effects of Union Car- lessly lost because of Union Carbide’s neg- f bide’s poisonous gases. In fact, a Greenpeace ligence and the devastating effects that con- tinue to plague the people of Bhopal. HONORING JAMES HARDEN ‘‘PAT’’ report documented the presence of chloro- DAUGHERTY form, lead, mercury, and a series of other Although this may be the 25th anniversary chemicals in the breast milk of nursing women of the Bhopal disaster, people are still dying who live near the factory. from the horrible affects of the chemicals that HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN Just this past June, a report by the Bhopal Union Carbide’s plant leaked. I remain dedi- OF MARYLAND Medical Appeal and the Sambhavna Trust cated to fighting for the rights of the survivors IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of the Bhopal disaster and ensuring that those Clinic found that the water in and around Bho- Monday, December 7, 2009 pal still contains unsafe levels of carbon tetra- in Bhopal today receive the assistance needed chloride and other pollutants, solvents, nickel, to live in a clean and healthy environment. Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise and other heavy metals. Therefore, it is not f today to recognize a remarkable American. Mr. James Harden ‘‘Pat’’ Daugherty, a long- surprising that populations in the areas around HONORING CORPORAL JAMESON Bhopal have high rates of birth defects, rapidly time resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, was CHAREST UPON HIS RETURN drafted into the U.S. Army during World War rising cancer rates, neurological damage, and HOME FROM SERVICE IN IRAQ mental illness. II when he was 19 years old. He was as- It is simply unbelievable that Union Carbide signed to the U.S. Army’s 92nd Infantry Divi- refused to acknowledge which chemicals and HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO sion, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, which gases were leaked for fear of legal liability. OF CONNECTICUT was the only division-strength unit comprised This left doctors to treat patients with no IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of African Americans to fight in the European Theater. The division fought German and knowledge of how to proceed or what treat- Monday, December 7, 2009 ment to use. Union Carbide’s use of unsafe Italian troops in northern Italy, suffering thou- and untested technologies led to one of the Ms. DELAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with sands of injuries and deaths. Mr. Daugherty worst chemical disasters in world history. the greatest joy that I rise today to join the watched some of his best friends die right be- Rather than acknowledge the devastation they more than 300 family and friends who have fore his eyes. He was decorated with the created and fully pay for the damages, Union gathered to welcome home Corporal Jameson Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement and Carbide decided to walk away. Charest of Wallingford, Connecticut. I have the Combat Infantryman Badge for out- However, in 2001 Dow Chemical Company, known Jameson’s family for many years. His standing performance of duty in action. based in the United States, purchased Union mother, Karen, served as a Congressional The Buffalo Soldiers were great American Carbide and acquired all of its assets and li- Aide in one of my Connecticut colleagues’ Dis- heroes who waged a fight for freedom abroad abilities. To this day, Dow Chemical refuses to trict Office and I often had the opportunity to even as they were denied freedom at home. shoulder the liabilities and obligations that it work with her. There are no words to describe After the war, they returned home to face rac- took on when it purchased Union Carbide. how proud we all are of his outstanding serv- ism, segregation, job discrimination and wide- Dow should clean up the factory site, which ice to our nation and, most importantly, to his ranging injustices. At age 23, upon returning continues to contaminate the local environ- fellow marines. from war, Mr. Daugherty felt compelled to doc- ment and should go beyond simply providing Jameson enlisted in the United States Ma- ument his wartime experiences as an African compensation to the victims. Dow should also rine Corps and was deployed to Iraq, where American. Earlier this year, coinciding with the fund the necessary medical care and research he served a 7 month tour. During his tour, he 65th anniversary of D-day and the election of studies necessary to treat victims and offer earned both the Purple Heart and the Combat the first African American President, Mr. them the chance to live fruitful lives not Action Ribbon, when the vehicle he was in Daugherty published his firsthand account as plagued by chemical affects. was destroyed by an IED. Needless to say, a Buffalo Soldier in his memoir, Buffalo Saga. I believe that the Indian Government has a when word spread of his injuries, we were all Following the war, Mr. Daugherty resumed role to play in ensuring that the survivors of concerned for his health and safety. Fortu- his studies with the aid of the GI Bill and re- the Bhopal disaster and those that continue to nately, Jameson has recovered and is ready ceived his bachelor of science from Howard face its deadly effects receive dignified care. to return to service. Though home on leave for University and his master of public health from Despite an order from the Supreme Court of the next several weeks, Jameson will report to Columbia University. India that clean drinking water should be sup- Okinawa on New Year’s Day and, in May, will Mr. Daugherty was an educator in the Dis- plied immediately, more than 25,000 people in report to the Pentagon. trict of Columbia public schools, where he or- Bhopal are forced to consume water known to Jameson will be the first one to tell you he ganized an after-school tutoring program and contain dangerous contaminates. is not a hero—that he is simply a marine, taught students in math and reading. In 1964, ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Nov 24 2008 04:02 Dec 08, 2009 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A07DE8.001 E07DEPT1 smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with REMARKS E2896 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks December 7, 2009 he was the first African American to serve as Because of this lack of water pressure the National Award for being involved with the Health Educator for the District of Columbia city does not have the capability to effectively most innovative Job Corps Program in his last Health Department. He was the first African fight a fire of size within city boundaries. Big 3 years with Edison Job Corps. American to be elected to the Montgomery Bear exists within the San Bernardino National When ResCare took control of the Edison County, Maryland Board of Education and Forest one of the most high risk zones for Job Corps Center in November 1995, the cen- served for many years on the Board of Visitors wildfire in the State of California.