No industrial accident in history compares with the devastation caused on a December night in 1984, when 45 tons of poison gas leaked from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The deadly methyl isocyanate, a pesticide ingredient, killed more than 3,400 people and injured 200,000. The Indian government charged the company with negligence, brought murder charges against its chief executive, Warren Anderson, and demanded $3.3 billion to settle claims by victims and their families.
Last week India's Supreme Court unexpectedly announced a settlement of all claims against the chemical company at a price that surprised and angered many Indians....