On
midday of July 10, 1976 an explosion occurred in a TCP
(2,4,5-trichlorophenol) reactor in the ICMESA chemical company in Meda,
Italy. A toxic cloud escaped into the atmosphere containing high
concentrations of TCDD, a highly toxic form of dioxin. Downwind from the
factory the dioxin cloud polluted a densely populated area of six
kilometres long and one kilometre wide, immediately killing many
animals. A neighbouring municipality that was highly affected is called
Seveso. The accident was named after this village. The dioxin cloud
affected a total of 11 communities.The media now mentions Seveso in line with major disasters such as Bhopal and Chernobyl, which have both become international symbols of industrially related disease. However, the Seveso story is remarkably different when it comes to handling the pollution and the victims because earlier
accidents
had shown dioxin to be an extremely dangerous substance. Polluted areas
were researched and the most severely polluted soils were excavated and
treated elsewhere. Health effects were immediately recognized as a
consequence of the disaster and victims were compensated. A long-term
plan of health monitoring has been put into operation. Seveso victims
suffered from a directly visible symptom known as chloracne (see
picture), but also from genetic impairments.
The
Seveso accident and the immediate reaction of authorities led to the
introduction of European regulation for the prevention and control of
heavy accidents involving toxic substances. This regulation is now known
as the Seveso Directive. This Directive was a central guideline for
European countries for managing industrial safety.
The
most remarkable feature of the Seveso accident was that local and
regional authorities had no idea the plant was a source of risk. The
factory existed for more than 30 years and the public had no idea of the
possibility of an accident as it occurred in 1976. The European
Directive was created to prevent such ignorance in the future and to
enhance industrial safety. The Council of Ministers of The European
Committee adopted the Directive in 1982. It obligates appropriate safety
measures, and also public information on major industrial hazards,
which is now known as the ‘need to know’ principle.
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