Probe: Bayer Destroyed Evidence After Fatal Explosion; Tried to Dampen Media Coverage

(MoneyWatch)  Bayer seems determined to make a bad situation worse for itself in the Congressional investigation of an explosion at its Institute, W.Va., crop sciences plant. Congress heard that Bayer destroyed evidence and engaged in a secrecy campaign in order to restrict media coverage and public criticism of how it handles methyl isocyanate at the plant. MIC is the chemical that killed about 4,000 people Bhopal, India, in 1984.

Bloomberg reports that after the August 2008 explosion, which killed two people:

... a Bayer contractor disabled the plant's surveillance cameras, depriving investigators of "critical video footage of the explosion." The removal of the protective blast mat prevented "further analysis of damage caused by shrapnel and debris," the committee report found.

The report accused Bayer of using a media and legal strategy to limit public disclosure about the accident. In an internal Bayer "community relations strategy" memo obtained by the committee, Bayer's public relations firm recommended undermining local community groups and news outlets, the report said.

The Charleston Gazette obtained notes of officials' meetings with Bayer on the subject of whether the company would cooperate in public safety meetings. Bayer had taken the position that it could not participate in those meetings because of terrorism issues. But the notes indicate they were also seeking to avoid media coverage and negative public criticism:

... Bayer officials complained its "experiences with panels in the past have been negative -- generate bad publicity for the company."

Bayer also said it did not want to attend any meetings that involved People Concerned About MIC, a pressure group that wants Bayer to stop storing the chemical in its factories:

Bayer officials were "not enthusiastic about participating in the public meeting panel -- depends on who is on the panel -- if People Concerned About MIC is in the panel, Bayer won't participate," the notes said.

You can dowload copies of the notes here.

• Previous items on Bayer:
• Bayer's Silence on Fatal Factory Explosion Gets National Attention
• Bayer's Lawyers Nix Public Hearing on Explosion at WV Plant
• Why the Bayer-Yaz Settlement Will Not Change Drug Advertising Forever
• Bayer's Advertising for Contraceptive Yaz Was "Misleading"
• Bayer Funding of Beekeepers' Association Draws Controversy
• Bayer to Pay $796,500 in EPA Fines at Plant That Exploded
• FDA sends Bayer a warning letter for unsubstantiated claims over Drontal for dogs.
• Trasylol Deaths Trigger Lawsuits
• Ethics Problems Are Business as Usual at Bayer
• The FDA slams Bayer with two warning letters for allegedly selling unapproved aspirin products.
• FTC fines Bayer $3.2 million for falsely claiming vitamins cause weight loss and for violating prior order not to make false claims.
• Bayer forced to discontinue advertising for All-Day Energy multivitamin which doesn't last all day.
• Bayer cited by NAD for not telling the truth when it said Aleve was the No. 1 medicine among orthopedic surgeons
• Bayer makes unsubstantiated claims about rivals to its Ascencia diabetes blood glucose monitor