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By Corporate Watch UK
DuPont
Completed March 2002
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CHEMICALS
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
5. Corporate Crimes
CONSTRUCTION
OIL / GAS 5.1. Bayer and War Crimes
PHARMACEUTICALS
PRIVATISED SERVICES 5.2. Scams, Blags and Corporate
PUBLIC RELATIONS Bullying
OTHER
5.3. Pharmaceutical Phailings
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5.5. Abusing Workers

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5. CORPORATE CRIMES
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5.1. Bayer and War Crimes
Contacts & Links
Chemical Weapons
Corporate Watch
16b Cherwell St Bayer is implicated in the development of chemical weapons.
Oxford OX4 1BG
United Kingdom During WW1 Bayer was involved in the development and
t: +44 (0)1865 791 391 manufacture of a range of poisonous gasses used in the
e: mail@corporatewatch.org trenches, including chlorine gas and mustard gas.[211] As part
of IG Farben, Bayer were also involved in the development of
the next generation of chemical warfare agents, toxic
organophosphate compounds. Tabun was first examined for
use as an insecticide in late 1936 in a program under the
direction of Dr. Gerhard Schrader at the Bayer facility at
Elberfeld/Wuppertal. An accidental exposure of Dr. Schrader
and a laboratory assistant to Tabun vapors made it quite clear
that this compound had potential military applications.[212]
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

Tabun was then mass produced by IG Farben during WWII

although it was never used as a weapon. Schrader was also
responsible for the discovery of related, but more toxic, nerve
agents including Sarin and Soman.[213] Whilst working on
chemical weapons Schrader discovered the chemical
compound E 605, the principle ingredient in the pesticide
parathion. After the post-war dissolution of IG Farben, Schrader
continued to develop pesticides for Bayer. After World War II,
Bayer and other companies began to introduce a large number
of organophosphorus compounds, including parathion, into the
marketplace for insect control. The difficulty with
organophosphates (OPs) is that they are neurotoxic due to their
effects on acetycholinesterase, and unfortunately this enzyme
occurs in humans as well as in insects.[214]
The links between chemicals developed as 'pesticides' with

chemicals suitable for weapons has continued at Bayer. In 1989
it was revealed that Bayer hold a patent for a compound
chemically identical to the VX gas used by the US military. The
compound was discovered by Gerhard Schrader, and was
patented in Germany in 1957, and in the US in 1961. Bayer
claim that the compound was developed as a potential pesticide
and that the US military application of the compound has
nothing to do with them.[215]
Bayer, IG Farben and World War II: Slave Labour and

Deadly Gas
Bayer (along with BASF and Hoechst) was an original member
of the IG Farben group. During WWII, IG Farben built a
synthetic rubber and oil plant complex called Monowitz close to
the Auschwitz concentration camp. Inmates worked as slave
labour for IG Farben,[216] and when they were too weak to
work they were killed in the gas chambers. IG Farben
subsidiary Degesch manufactured Zyklon B, the gas used in the
concentration camp gas chambers.[217]
Bayer head Carl Duisberg personally propagated the concept of

forced labour during WW1.[218] The company placed itself
under a large burden of guilt due to its heavy involvement in the
planning, preparation and implementation of both world wars.
The International War Crimes Tribunal pronounced the
company guilty for its share of responsibility in the war and the
crimes of the Nazi dictatorship.
On 29 July 1948, sentences for mass murder and slavery were

handed down at the Nuremberg trials to twelve Farben
executives. The longest sentence of only seven years was dealt
out was to Dr. Fritz ter Meer, a top executive and scientist on
the IG Farben managing board.[219]
After the war, IG Farben separated into three giant

corporations: Bayer, Hoechst and BASF. On 1 August 1963,
Bayer celebrated its 100th anniversary at the Cologne
fairgrounds. The opening speech was delivered by Dr. Fritz ter
Meer, not only out of prison but - a convicted mass murderer -

elevated to the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board

of Bayer.[220]
More than eight million people had to do slave work for the Nazi
war industry, and none ever received compensation from the
companies or the government. David Fishel, one of the few
survivors of the camp, sued the companies for compensation.
When he was 13 he was forced to work for IG Farben carrying
50-kilo bags of coal and cement when he weighed only 75
pounds.[221]
Bayer, IG Farben and Human Experiments[222]

IG Farben also conducted experiments on humans. Eva Mozes
Kor, among the 1,500 sets of twins experimented on by the
infamous Dr. Josef Mengele, claims that IG Farben monitored
and supervised medical experiments at the Nazi concentration
camp where she was interned. She claims the experiments
involved toxic chemicals that IG Farben (Bayer) provided. In
some of the experiments, the lawsuit states, prisoners were
injected with germs known to cause diseases, "to test the
effectiveness of various drugs" manufactured by IG Farben.
Mengele conducted genetic experiments there in an effort to
create a super race of blonde, blue-eyed Aryans who would be
born in multiple births. Both Kor and her sister survived their 10-
month ordeal in the concentration camp and were liberated by
Soviet troops in January 1945. They were nearly 10 years old.
According to Irwin Levin (Kor's Lawyer), IG Farben paid Nazi
officials during World War II for access to those confined in the
camps and collaborated in Nazi experiments as a form of
research and development. The lawsuit sought unspecified
punitive damages and the recovery of profits it maintains IG
Farben (Bayer) earned as a result of such research.
Eventually Eva Kor and various others were paid out of a fund
put up by the German government and the companies. Bayer
gave 100 million German Marks to the fund. The entire fund
(totalling 10 billion German Marks) was a result of various
American lawsuits - without the loss of reputation in the US the
companies would never have agreed.
Bayer and the Congo War [223]

A recent report commissioned by the UN Secretary General
stated that the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) centred on the control of five mineral resources,
including colombite-tantalite or coltan.[224] Coltan is a
hardening agent for metal used in the manufacture of electrical
products. In October a report listed H.C. Starck (a wholly owned
subsidiary of Bayer AG), as the buyer of over 80% of the coltan
originating in the DRC.[225] By purchasing coltan from one or
other of the warring factions in the DRC, H.C. Starck have been
fuelling the two-year conflict. The fighting has killed over
250,000 people, and a million people have been displaced in
East Congo.
5.2. Scams, Blags and Corporate Bullying

Anthrax Drug Monopoly

Amidst anthrax attacks and widespread fears of exposure,
Bayer has refused to allow other pharmaceutical firms to
produce ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, so that they can profit from
sales of Cipro, their patented drug that cures anthrax.[226]
Gilman and Pastor, LLP, are now prosecuting a nationwide

class action lawsuit on behalf of all persons in the US who
purchased or paid for Cipro, accusing Bayer AG of entering into
unlawful agreements with Barr Laboratories, Inc. and Hoechst
Marion Roussel, Inc. under which, in exchange for over $50
million per year, Barr and Hoechst Marion Roussel agreed not
to manufacture or market a generic version of Cipro.[227]
The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary threatened to

override Bayer's patent unless they agreed to lower the price of
the pill, which Bayer promptly agreed. "Activists and health
officials from developing countries say it is unreasonable for a
rich country to challenge patents after a handful of Anthrax
cases resulted in four deaths, while its policy is to discourage
poor countries from overriding patents to address the AIDS
epidemic." the San Francisco Examiner reported.[228]
South Africa AIDS drugs lawsuit[229]

Nelson Mandela signed the Medicines Control Act in 1997,
which allowed South Africa's health minister to override patent
protections to use generic AIDS drugs if there was a need.
Bayer was one of several large pharmaceutical companies that
filed a joint suit in 1998 against the South African government
for patent infringement, in a gross attempt to deprive victims of
AIDS of desperately needed medication. After three years of
international outrage, the case was withdrawn. [230]
Citric Acid Monopoly[231]

Bayer's New Jersey-based subsidiary, Haarmann and Reimer,
was one of several manufacturers implicated in an international
conspiracy to create a price monopoly on citric acid. Haarman
and Reimer pleaded guilty to the US Department of Justice and
had to pay a $50 million, while a senior executive at the
German-based Haarman & Reimer was fined $150,000.
The Canadian anti-trust commission also found Haarman &

Reimer and other food additives manufacturers guilty of illegal
price fixing in the case of citric acid.[232]
Medicaid Scam[233]
The American unit of Bayer AG agreed to pay $14 million to
settle charges of causing inflated Medicaid claims after
defrauding the government by setting prices that were too high
on drugs such as Kogenate and Koate-HP, used to treat
haemophilia and Gamimmune, used to treat immune deficiency
diseases. For at least seven years, Bayer overstated average
wholesale prices for its drugs. These prices were used to set
reimbursement aids under Medicaid and Medicare, the federal
health insurance program for the elderly. Bayer squeezed drug
companies who followed the pricing rules out of the market,

while simultaneously pocketing money at the expense of

taxpayers.
Suppressing Scientific Information[234]

Bayer asks bacteriologists and scientists who want to test
Bayer products for antibiotic research to sign a document
stating that they will inform Bayer AG in writing of test results
and will not publish or commercialise them without the written
permission of Bayer. This brings up many issues of drug
companies suppressing scientific information that does not suit
their commercial purposes.
Bayer Bribery
When large health and environmental groups which affect
public policy are being funded by industries, it is possible that
scientists who claim to be objective may ignore important
health, safety and environmental considerations.
Bayer donates over $500,000 a year to the American Heart

Association (AHA), which may explain why the AHA has
endorsed only Bayer aspirin. Bayer also contributes over $
500,000 a year to the American Diabetes Association, is a
sustaining member of the American Medical Writer's
Association, and contributes to the American Veterinary
Medicine Association, the Arthritis Foundation, the
Biotechnology Institute, and the Environmental Sensitivities
Research Institute. Bayer also supports the Heartland Institute,
an "independent research policy group".[235] Bayer is a
member organisation of the National Center for Food and
Agricultural Policy, which is supposed to maintain publicly
available national databases on pesticide use, develop
methods and data systems to improve the estimation of
pesticide benefits and prepare reports, articles, and testimony
on pesticide policy issues.
Bayer donates money to the Alliance for the Prudent Use of

Antibiotics, a scientific front group that also receives donations
from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Procter &
Gamble Pharmaceutical and SmithKline Beecham
Pharmaceuticals Inc., which may explain their watered-down
web page which claims that antibiotic resistant bacteria is a
natural phenomenon and that "Although the scientific evidence
does indicate that antibiotic use in animals is a key factor
promoting resistance, the validity and reliability of the data have
been questioned."[236]
In addition, Bayer donates exorbitant amounts of money to

political parties, especially in the United States. In fact, between
1 January 1999 and 30 June 2000 alone, Bayer donated $
134,511 to the Republican party and $40,150 to the Democrats,
for a grand total of $174,661.[237]
Bayer also admitted to supporting the "further education" of

doctors in Portugal by paying for trips around the world in an
attempt to influence prescription writing.[238] According to
former pharmaceuticals salesman Alfredo Pequito, Bayer
invested approximately DM 100,000 in the first 5 months of

1995 to promote the prescribing of Ciproxin in Portugal. He

reports that amounts of up to DM 5,000 were deposited in
travel agencies for various doctors. The money was not always
used for conventions, but for other uses such as family trips or
even exchanged for cash. The head of the Portuguese State
Medical Board Carlos Ribeira believes this brings the ethical
and moral ideals of the medical profession in question. He has
announced that he intends to take legal action. The public
prosecutors and the Ministry of Health have also begun
investigations.
Unlicensed Exports[239]
Bayer received a $200,000 fine for exporting U.S-origin glucose
and other reagents to seven destinations, without obtaining the
required validated export licenses, even though glucose can be
used for chemical and biological weapons.
Bayer Attacks Critical Coverage[240]
Bayer has forced Coordination against BAYER-Dangers
(Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren e.V. or CBG), formerly
Bayerwatch, to withdraw their domain name and trademarked
group name by threatening them with heavy court costs. The
CBG had already successfully registered the aforementioned
name with the Munich Patent Office. The Patent Office's
copyright investigation had reviewed whether there was any
danger of confusion as a result of the copyrighted trademark
and had determined that there was none. However, Bayer
claimed that people could get confused between the site
detailing their crimes, and the real Bayer website. An initial
attempt by Bayer to silence the group was rejected by the
Bundesverfassungsgericht (German Federal Constitutional
Court) in 1992. The CBG has been campaigning against the
questionable practices of Bayer's international operations for
over 20 years.
"Green Revolution" or Pesticide Dependence?[241]

The IMF and World Bank convinced farmers (many in
developing countries) to abandon traditional agriculture systems
and getting in debt to buy 'high yield' seeds and the
accompanying agrochemicals in the so-called "Green
Revolution." Although yields rose for a time, the chemicals that
many farmers now depend on has lead to a massive loss of
biodiversity and is poisoning both the land, the water and the
farmers that work on it. The Green Revolution, supported by the
IMF and World Bank, has promoted higher-yielding varieties of
seeds that are dependent on irrigation, fertilizers and
pesticides. Corporations such as Bayer have a lot to gain from
this manufactured dependence of developing countries on their
products. Six companies, including Bayer, are associated with
US$3 million or more in Bank-approved agrochemical sales
over the three year period between 1993-95.
5.3. Pharmaceutical Phailings

Mass-Producing Heroin[242]
In 1898, Bayer trademarked the opiate diacetylmorphine, giving
it the name heroin. Although the chemist C.R. Wright

discovered the mixture of morphine and acetic acid, Bayer was

the first company to mass-produce it. Bayer began an
advertising campaign in 1900[243], praising the product across
the globe in 12 languages, and sending thousands of free
samples to doctors. Bayer advertised heroin as a cough
medicine for children, saying it was harmless and even that it
helped cure colic. Ironically, methadone the synthetic morphine
substitute commonly used to treat heroin addiction was
developed by Hoescht branch of IG Farben during the WW2 as
Dolophine.[244]
Ciproxin and Dangerous Human Trials[245]

Bayer placed hundreds of patients at risk of potentially fatal
infections by failing to disclose crucial safety information to six
hospitals at the start of a UK drug trial. Bayer's own research as
early as 1989 showed that the antibiotic ciproflaxin (sold as
Ciproxin) reacted badly with various opiate-based sedatives or
"pre-meds" commonly given to patients ahead of surgery.
Research showed that the drug was not properly absorbed by
many patients, impairing its ability to kill bacteria and placing
the patients at risk of sometimes fatal infections.
This information was not revealed to the hospitals before up to

650 people had undergone surgery, violating their human
rights. The trials resulted in nearly half of the people at one test
centre in Southampton developing potentially life-threatening
infections. At least one patient died, and another developed an
infection so severe that his relatives were initially told he would
not survive. Nearly half the patients at Southampton Hospitals
Trust developed post-operative wound infections requiring
emergency therapy. Infection and mortality rates at the five
other trial sites were never revealed on grounds of
"confidentiality"
Stephen Karran, a retired consultant surgeon from

Southhampton, was concerned about the trial. He pointed out
the flaw in the earliest possible stage, and contacted the press
after the trial went ahead unaltered anyway. Bayer has
confirmed that it knew of absorption problems with the drug
before the study began. However, they still used the dangerous
drug for two years, are still keeping trial results secret, and
have not paid compensation to the relatives of patients injured
or killed in the course of its unapproved trials.
Meanwhile, Ciproxin has been found to lead to tendon

disorders or ruptures. The FDA staff stated that the agency "will
update the labeling [package insert] for all marketed
fluoroquinolones to include a warning about the possibility of
tendon rupture." However, this has not been done.[246]
Baycol Deaths[247]
Bayer's anti-cholesterol drug, Baycol (also known as Lipobay
and cerivastatin), has deadly side effects. The Food and Drug
Administration received reports of 31 US deaths due to
rhadomolysis, a potentially fatal adverse muscle reaction that
results in muscle cell breakdown and release of the contents of
muscle cells in the bloodstream. Symptoms include muscle

pain, weakness, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Bayer admitted

that the drug might have killed 52 people already worldwide,
with another 1,100 potentially crippled. Although Bayer
voluntarily recalled the drug after a large number of deaths,
Germany's health minister, on 25 August 2001, accused Bayer
of sitting on research documenting Baycol's lethal side-effects
for nearly two months before the government in Berlin was
informed.' Writing about the recall, the trade journal Chemistry
and Industry stated, "The ensuing discussion over the drug
safety and manufacturer's perceived willingness to overlook
risks could damage the reputation of the industry at large."
There have been many individual and class action law suits,
including one in Pennsylvania which cited 480 cases of Baycol-
related illnesses. At the time of editing (20.01.02) the number of
Baycol related deaths has risen to almost 100.[248]
Metrifonate and Muscular Weakness[249]

The FDA stopped the testing of Bayer's Alzheimer preparation
Metrifonate after 20 test persons complained of sudden
muscular weakness. The FDA stated that they would not
consider the drug until there is a change in the production
methods and pharmacological effects. The company withdrew
the drug's approval application in Europe on its own accord.
Aspirin and False Advertising

The Bayer Corporation launched a series of advertisements
which claimed that a regular aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)
regimen prevents heart attacks and strokes in the general adult
population. The Federal Trade Commission pointed out that
these claims were unsubstantiated and that daily doses of
aspirin may be harmful to some adults. The Bayer Corporation
launched a $1 million consumer education campaign to settle
FTC charges. In addition to this new campaign, the settlement
requires that any Bayer advertising making claims about the
benefits of regular aspirin use for prevention of heart attacks or
strokes contain a disclosure that states, "Aspirin is not
appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor
before you begin an aspirin regimen."[250]
Bayer also continues to offer aspirin packaged specifically for

children in the 3rd World, despite the fact that experts warn of
the many risks involved in the use of acetylsalicylic acid for
children. The safety warnings recommending limited use to
children, found in Germany and other countries, are not found
in developing countries. Bayer even sells "Children's Aspirin."
Bayer has announced that although the claims could not be
proven, they have "made changes" where the impression could
be given that it is a consumer advertisement. In a letter from
Bayer to the Medical Initiative in July 1997, Bayer insisted that
there was no more consumer advertising for children's aspirin in
South America. However, in October 1997 a one page, colour
advertisement for aspirina para ninos (aspirin for children)
appeared in the daily newspaper Prensa libre of Guatemala.
[251]
HIV and HEP C Contaminated Blood Preparations [252]

Bayer's American subsidiary, Cutter, has been sued for

infecting haemophiliacs with HIV and hepatitis C with

contaminated blood preparations. The contraction of these
diseases by thousands of people in the USA, Germany and
Japan could have been prevented, if the companies had used
precautionary tests and had heated the blood. In the US, 6200
haemophiliacs contracted HIV through contaminated blood and
eventually received $100,000 each.
Bayer paid 10 Taiwanese citizens, who were infected with the

HIV virus via Bayer blood products, a total of $60,000 each. 43
other victims turned down the offer with the claim that Bayer
had paid higher amounts in other countries.
Many lawsuits have been filed by those who contracted

hepatitis C, including the mother of a 12-year-old boy who
sought $143 million in damages and alleged that the
defendants knew they were providing risky coagulants to her
son and other haemophiliacs more than a decade before their
infections. The suit states that the defendants improperly
collected plasma from groups at high risk for hepatitis C
contamination, including prison inmates, drug users and gay
men.
Creating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria [253]

The Bayer Corporation is one of the largest producers of
veterinary products in the world, including the sale of antibiotics
for cattle and poultry. (An estimated 40 percent of antibiotic use
is in livestock.) Bacteria killers are mixed in with the feed to
accelerate the animals' growth.
Using Baytril and other fluoroquinolenes in poultry and cattle

leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens in animals,
making is possible for strains of resistant bacteria to enter the
human body. This makes human versions of the drug
ineffective in treating people infected by these bacteria, which
could be life-threatening to the elderly, to children and to those
with depressed immune systems or in weakened conditiones.
Fluoroquinolones are commonly prescribed to treat serious
gastrointestinal illness, including from the common
Campylobacter and Salmonella bacterias. Campylobacter
accounts for nearly two million illnesses and 100 deaths each
year, and Salmonella accounts for 1.3 million illnesses and
about 500 deaths annually. Very few bacteria were found
resistant to fluoroquinolones until the drugs also began to be
used in poultry in 1995. By 1998, 13 percent of Campylobacter
tested in humans were resistant to fluoroquinolones, and by
1999, nearly 18 percent of Campylobacter were found to be
resistant.
After data collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention showed that the use of fluoroquinolones in poultry
was speeding up the bacteria's development of resistance to
the drug, the US Food and Drug Administration concluded that
the health of at least 5,000 Americans is affected each year by
the use of these drugs in chickents. It also proposed to ban this
use. Abbott Laboratories, one of the two producers of poultry
fluoroquinolones in the US, voluntarily withdrew its product, but

Bayer refused to comply with the proposed ban and instead

requested a hearing on the proposal. This hearing may take
years to complete, and by then the ban may be a moot point
since the drug may be ineffective in humans by the time the
FDA is able to issue a final ban on the use of these drugs in
poultry.
Many NGOs, such as the federal Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention and the World Health Organization, have
strongly advocated a ban for years. On 31 October 2000,
Environmental Defense, the American Public Health
Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest; Delmarva
Poultry Justice Alliance; Food Animal Concerns Trust; Global
Resources Action Center for the Environment; Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy; National Catholic Rural Life
Conference; Physicians for Social Responsibility; and Union of
Concerned Scientists signed a letter to the Bayer Corporation
asking it to comply voluntarily with the proposed ban. In
November, more than 180 individual health care professionals
and several medical organizations, including the American
Medical Association and the American College of Preventive
Medicine, sent a similar letter to Bayer.
But Bayer has recently spent over 50 million US$ to build new
production facilities for Baytril in Germany and the US. The
company claimed that Baytril is completely harmless in a letter
to veterinarians: "Bayer has and always will play a leading role
in defending fluoroquinolones".
5.4. Pesticides and Poisons

Methamidophos and other toxic Pesticides
Methamidophos is manufactured by Bayer and marketed as
Monitor. According to the World Health Organization, it is
extremely hazardous and can be fatal if swallowed, inhaled, or
absorbed through the skin. It is restricted in the US and New
Zealand, but is widely used by Cambodian farmers. [254]
PCB [255]
Bayer also produced polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, under
the trade name 'Clophen.' During the 1970s, the health risks
associated with PCBs (including skin ailments, reproductive
disorders and liver disease) became a major consideration due
to several well-publicised incidents.
Because of the health and environmental risks associated with

PCB's, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 directed the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the
manufacture of PCB's and regulated their use and disposal.
EPA accomplished this by the issuance of regulation in 1978. In
1972, Bayer restricted their supply of PCB for use in closed
systems (transformers, condensers, hydraulic fluid). Until then a
total of approximately 23,000 t of PCB were used in "open
systems". There was a shift in production from higher
chlorinated PCB to lower chlorinated PCB between 1974 and

1983. The use of PCB in Germany remained more or less

constant up to 1978 and then decreased continuously. In 1983,
the last year of PCB production by Bayer, 90% of the PCB was
exported. The production of PCB increased until 1980 with an
increased proportion going into export. In 1983, the last year of
PCB production by Bayer AG, 90% of the PCB produced was
exported.
Bayer pesticides in toxic dump in Nepal [256]

Bayer was one of several multinationals to export highly toxic
obsolete pesticides to Nepal, and abandon them there after
they reached their expiry date or were banned. In fact, the most
dangerous substances found at the site (which was later
contained by Greenpeace activists) originated from Bayer.
These include highly toxic chlorinated organomercury
compounds, banned for use in the European Union since 1988.
The obsolete pesticides had been inadequately stored in rusting
and rotting original packaging in a warehouse at the National
Agricultural Research Council, located on the outskirts of
Katmandu. The toxic waste threatens the health of residents,
workers and livestock in the area as well as local water
supplies, irrigation systems and soil. Despite requests to Bayer
from the Royal Nepalese Government, the company has
refused to help.
Bayer Dumps Acid and other Wastes in the North Sea and
the Rhine [257]
Bayer hired big ships which they loaded with concentrated
sulphuric acid (containing heavy metals) and dumped it into the
North Sea. The acid was a bi-product from the manufacture of
titanium dioxide. Greenpeace and the Coalition Against Bayer-
Dangers blockaded the port in Leverkusen for several weeks,
thereby changing legislation and forcing Bayer to "voluntarily"
stop dumping the acid into the North Sea.
Liquid waste containing lead, cadmium and mercury was

regularly brought in barges down the Rhine from dye factories
at Leverkusen, belonging to Bayer, and discharged into the sea
from two ships.[258]
A hundred thousand cubic meters of chemical waste were also

stored only a few meters from the Rhine river and surrounding
residential area, which led to harm to workers and the
environment and even a few deaths. The sanitation costs were
over 200 million German marks, and the taxpayers had to pay
one fourth of the costs.[259]
Gaucho [260]
French Farm Minister Jean Glavany suspended the use of
Bayer pesticide Gaucho on sunflower seeds, due to a drop in
France's bee population. Honey producers say that Gaucho has
made the plants toxic, thereby damaging their bee swarms.
Bayer claims that Gaucho leaves too small of a residue in
nectar and pollen to have an impact on bees, but, according to
the National Union of French Beekeepers, the number of hives
in France dropped to 1 million from 1.45 million.

Baygon [261]
Baygon, a pesticide produced by Bayer, has been linked to
child leukaemia. A study showed that pregnant women who
were exposed to a substance from the same family of
chemicals were 10 times more likely to have a baby which
developed the deadly disease than mothers who were not
exposed. Baygon is used as an insecticide and also in mosquito
repellant.
Fenthion [262]
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that
previously approved uses of Bayer's organophosphate pesticide
fenthion, posed unreasonable risks to human health and the
environment.
Fenthion can also cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans;

that is, it can overstimulate the nervous system causing nausea,
dizziness, and at high exposures respiratory paralysis and
death. EPA toxicologist William Boyes is reviewing a Japanese
study that found a high rate of myopia (shortsightedness) in
people exposed to fenthion. Another study by Bayer itself
indicates that rats that were given high doses of fenthion over a
period of two years had eye problems as well. Its use has been
implicated in several bird kill incidents, including recent bird kills
on Marco Island, Florida, which are currently under
investigation by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Conservancy
states that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife report documents the
deaths of at least 16 species of birds caused by fenthion,
including the Piping Plover. The level of concern is exceeded
for endangered species of estuarine/marine invertebrates on an
acute and chronic basis from the mosquito adulticide use.
Fentheon is the active ingredient of pesticide Lebaycid, and

there was a mass campaign in Greece to stop the use of
Lebaycid.
Baysiston [263]
Bayer faced criminal charges in Brazil for poisoning coffee
growers with pesticide Baysiston
The pesticide is suspected to have poisoned more than 30
coffee growers, at least 12 of them fatally. Farm workers'
organizations estimate the number of workers with considerable
health damage to be several hundred.
There are tight safety regulations in Brazil for contact with the
extremely toxic pesticide (which has been banned in Germany
for over 20 years), including the use of breathing devices and
protective gear. However, this equipment in unaffordable for
poor farm workers, and even if it were affordable it would
probably not be used due to the tropical temperatures. In
addition, many farm workers are illiterate and therefore cannot
read the instructions for use of the highly toxic pesticide.
Furthermore, the risks are downplayed or ignored in adverts for
of Baysiston. Many coffee growers even believe Baysiston to
be a fertilizer which increases yield.

Bayer is in violation of the policies of the Food and Agriculture

Organisation (FAO) regarding the sales of pesticides by
marketing Baysiston. According to FAO policy, manufacturers,
especially those in tropical countries, should avoid using
pesticides that require expensive protective equipment.
The company has paid 100,000 Real (approximately $ 80,000)

into a fund that was initiated by the public prosecutor's office.
According to the public prosecutor, the company wants to avoid
a conviction at any price and is therefore trying to settle out of
court.
Although Bayer insisted that Baysiston was "well known and

appreciated for its good effects," contamination with the
substance leads to severe burns, muscular spasm, muscular
shivering, severely impaired consciousness and muscle
paralysis up to a respiratory standstill - i.e. death. Baysiston
also filters through into the ground water and contaminates the
nearby rivers. Bayer stated that they are aware of cases of
contamination, but they were not due to lack of information but
to "inexpert use alone".
Methyl Parathion [264]

Methyl parathion is an organophosphate pesticide that kills
pests by acting as a stomach poison. It is classified as an
"extremely hazardous" and acutely toxic product by the World
Health Organization, is responsible for a disproportionately
large share of pesticide poisonings in Latin America. It is
officially banned or restricted in Cambodia, China, the US,
Japan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
However, the chemical is widely used on a frequent basis in
various Asian countries (such as Indonesia and Vietnam).
Folidol (the Bayer brand name for methyl parathion) is one of
the most popular insecticides on the Cambodian market.
The application of extremely hazardous chemicals such as

Methyl parathion would require
protective gear that would cost farmers a yearly income, which
they cannot afford. The gear is also rarely available in rural
markets, and would be difficult to use in 30-40 degree Celsius
tropical heat. These chemicals are not handled, stored or
disposed of within even minimal international standards.
Research has shown that spray equipment (such as tanks and
valves) leaks onto hands and down necks and backs, and that
these chemicals are often mixed with bare hands. Used bottles
are often left in fields or ponds, contaminating the food and
water supplies. The containers are used domestically after
being washed in the nearest river or streams (which are also
used for bathing).
Furthermore, the misuse of pesticides has caused huge pest

outbreaks as the chemicals kill the pests, as well as beneficial
insects, but not the eggs of the pest. Incessant spraying causes
pest resistance to particular chemicals, which has led to an
estimated over-dosing in rice by up to 8 times the
recommended rate. Water supplies become contaminated with
the pesticides, impacting the safety of the drinking water as well

as killing birds, aquatic life and other animals which survive on

the water sources.
TDI [265]
In 1996, Bayer made plans for a giant TDI (Toluylendiisocyanat)
plant in Taichung, Taiwan. The factory was supposed to
produce 100, 000 metric tons of TDI per year and would have
been the second biggest in the world. From the beginning there
was a lot of resistance in Taiwan against this project (there
were demonstrations with up to 4, 000 people), especially
because of the threats of phosgene, a poisonous by-product of
TDI production that was used as a chemical weapon during
World War I. Bayer Taiwan Chairman Horst Mück insisted that
only one thing could rupture the system: an explosion, which
would in itself burn up the phosgene. Beyond 50 meters of the
rupture, the gas would be below dangerous levels
In June 1997 a big accident occurred in Bayer's brand-new TDI

plant in Dormagen. 12 tons of carcinogenic TDA (a by-product)
exploded, burned and covered a large area. This explosion was
also noted in Taiwan since it contradicted to all of Bayer's
previous statements. The approval of the Taiwanese
government was delayed. In December 1997 Bayer announced
they would abandon their plans in Taiwan and expand their TDI
plant in Baytown/Texas instead.[266]
24 children dead, 18 poisoned [267]

Pesticides are sold among instant coffee and milk powder,
medicine and vegetables in local markets. In the developing
world, they are often labelled in languages not spoken in the
country in which they are being sold. In October 2001, Bayer
was taken to court after 24 children in the remote Andean
village of Tauccamarca were killed and 18 more severely
poisoned when they drank a powdered milk substitute that had
been contaminated with methyl parathion.
The white powder that resembles powdered milk and has no
strong chemical odour was packaged in small plastic bags that
provide no protection to users and give no indication of the
danger of the product within. The bags were labelled in Spanish
only, and carried drawings of healthy carrots and potatoes but
no pictograms indicating danger or toxicity.
Baycor and Nemacur in the Phillipines [268]

Bayer's pesticides Baycor and Nemacur, labelled as "extremely
hazardous," are constantly sprayed in banana plantations in the
Philippine village of Kamukhaan. The strong fumes create
nausea, weakness, suffocation as well as itchy skin and painful
stinging eyes. Skin diseases, abnormalities and various
illnesses and ailments (such as asthma, thyroid cancer,
anaemia, diarrhoea and goitre) have grown in both infants and
adults. Many have died from contaminated water after the
pesticides seep into the soil supply. In addition the pesticides
have also stopped coconut trees from bearing coconuts, and
the soil has become infertile. Each time a spraying occurs,
many animals die. Many people have died from drinking or
playing in water, and the pesticides have also seeped the soil.
In 1995, Bayer declared that they would withdraw their most

dangerous pesticides. This promise, of course, has not been

kept.
Olaqunidox [269]
At the request of EU agricultural commissioner Franz Fischler,
the EU Commission has prohibited the sales of Bayer's growth
hormone Olaquindox. Scientists consider the feed additive used
in intensive livestock farming to be genetically damaging and
carcinogenic.
PPA [270]
After two studies from The New England Journal of Medicine
revealed that
phenylpropanolamine ('PPA') could lead to strokes even in
young, healthy individuals, the US Food and Drug
Administration urged consumers to quit using drugs containing
the substance.
The FDA removed all over-the-counter products which

contained PPA, including Bayer's Alka-Seltzer Plus effervescent
cough/cold products.
A 5-year Yale University report that indicated PPA had caused

500 strokes and four deaths; the result of this was the US Food
& Drug Administration (FDA) banning all over-the-counter
products whuch contained PPA.
Bayer challenged the validity of the Yale University study,

stating that there have been no safety risks involved with the
use of Alka Seltzer. A lawsuit is still pending involving a man
who suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke, after taking Alka-
Seltzer Plus Cold Formula. He suffers permanent brain
damage.
PCB In Ship Paints [271]

Polluted sedimnents in the Oslo harbour was found to be linked
to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) found in ship paint products
sold to shipyards by two companies, including Bayer's product
Clophen. An Oslo firm of lawyers, in cooperation with Friends of
the Earth Norway, has stated that a lawsuit would be possible,
linked to the fact that the companies have omitted to inform the
recipients of the product of its PCB content and/or the possible
harmful effects of this.
PCB and Mercury [272]

Greenpeace sampling results show toxic chemicals slated for
ban including toxic Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) such
as PCBs and heavy metals such as mercury, are being
released from the Bayer plant in Rio de Janeiro. PCBs are
industrial chemicals (used mostly in electrical equipment) which
harm the environment and have been classified by the UN
Environment Program as a persistent global pollutant. Mercury
is an extremely toxic metal. It is bioaccumulative and in organic
form can permanently damage the nervous system, kidneys and
developing foetus.
Toxic Dump in Pakistan [273]

A toxic dump and spill in a valley in Pakistan's North West

Frontier Province posed a serious health hazard for local

villagers several years after it occurred. The local villagers
faced intestinal, eye and lung diseases, especially severe
amongst the children.
250 drums of expired pesticides loaded onto four trucks were

being secretly taken to Khawara Valley when one truck
overturned a few meters from its destination. Although the signs
of the accident were cleared before daylight, the adverse health
effects from the waste seeping into the soil lingered for years.
The pesticides were imported for free distribution to farmers

over 20 years previously under the so-called Green Revolution
program, but the government then tried to sell it to farmers at a
higher price than it was selling in the open market. The
pesticides were not sold and remained at a storehouse of the
Department of Plant Protection in Peshawar.
Local villagers soon complained of recurring headaches, a

strange taste in the water and a foul smell.
According to a study by World Environmental Centre, around

5,000 tonnes of expired pesticides still remain at 1,900
warehouses across Pakistan. The United Nations Food &
Agriculture Organizations estimates there are more than
100,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticide stocks in developing
countries.
5.5. Abusing Workers

In addition to Bayer history of using slave labour and child
labour in the concentration camps, Bayer's current labour
practices are absolutely egregious.
Health and Safety Violations [274]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the
Bayer Corporation in Baytown, TX (USA) for safety and health
violations with penalties totalling $135,900. This investigation
began in July 2000 after a contract worker notified OSHA of a
methylenedianiline (MDA - a regulated carcinogen) spill and
clean up, and subsequent exposures. Bayer failed to alert
employees who may have been exposed of an emergency, did
not establish regulated areas, failed to ensure that employees
use appropriate protective work and clothing, failed to place
contaminated clothes and equipment in closed containers and
failed to institute exposure monitoring. Bayer did not even
record the incident on the log within the appropriate amount of
time (six days).
Guatemala: No Employment Rights and Work Related

Illness at Bayer factory
Workers in Guatemala are hired without contracts, health
benefits or vacation. The workers at the pesticide plant
complain about anaemia and damage to their nervous system.
[275]

Violations of safety regulations in Indonesia

Kompak has reported mass violations of safety regulations in
Indonesia. The ages of young workers have been altered, and
often the ages of those hired were not even checked. Young
workers were used in all areas of production, including those
with occupational hazards. In times of high production, shifts
sometimes last as long as 16 hours. Workers were consistently
exposed to extreme heat and humidity as well as poisonous
gases at the PT Sinar Plataco plant, and workers complained
about various health problems including skin diseases, eye
problems, asthma, pulmonary disease, coughing and
headaches. 90% of employees surveyed considered
occupational safety insufficient. Many had received no safety
instructions for handling hazardous chemicals, and the few
masks distributed were cloth and insufficient to protect from
toxic fumes. Half of the workers received no health benefits or
social security.[276]
Bayer and Apartheid-Era South Africa

One of the largest chrome factories in the world began
production as a joint company of Bayer and Dow Chemicals.
Bayer, the second largest chrome manufacturer in the world,
closed its chrome processing plant in Leverkusen, Germany.
Due to the country's large chrome deposits, the company has
processed this raw material in South Africa since 1973, and it
even has its own mine. The idea of an apartheid government
apparently did not present any problems to Bayer, as the
government provided many black workers who were cheap and
had no rights. The workers suffered many health risks during
chrome production, including respiratory illnesses, skin tumours
and even lung cancer.[277]
Dangerous Brazilian Chemical Plant

A man employed in chrome production at the Bayer Belford Rox
facility, near Rio de Janeiro, died of burns from hot gas, when
production tools were restarted after repairs. Workers at Belford
Rox have also complained about ruptured columns of the nose.
[278]
After several accidents and subsequent complaints, the
government conducted an investigation at the plant near Rio de
Janeiro A district attorney at the Rio De Janeiro labour court
decreed,
"The testimony and reports make evident that the company:
continuously violated basic regulations on industrial health and
safety; refused to recognise occupational diseases and
industrial accidents, used the highest limits, and enforced
working hours above the legal maximum; contracted
specialised and hazardous work to third parties; and restricted
inspection and monitoring by authorised commissions."[279]
Bayer Call in Brazilian Military Police

Only after prolonged protests did Bayer and BASF grant their
employees in Brazil the opportunity of electing a Works Council
- with minimal rights. During the strike at Bayer Belford Roxo in
1989, the military police was called onto the scene, and shortly
afterwards the head of company security was decorated with a
military medal, an event greatly celebrated in the company

newspaper. Furthermore, the entire union leadership was fired.

[280]
Tibras: No Employment Rights

Bayer's subsidiary plant, Tibras, fires employees suffering from
occupational diseases immediately, although the lay-off
notification period is one year. Bayer doesn't even pay their
entitled one-year wage results of their company medical
examinations. 280 employees and ex-employees have not
received overtime bonuses and shift payments for fourteen
years even after law suits were won on all levels. In addition,
long-serving employees have been fired only two or three years
before reaching retirement age, thereby losing a large part of
their retirement entitlements.[281]
Explosion at Dormagen Plant

Three people died and 10 were critically injured at an explosion
in the harbour of the Bayer subsidiary EC ERDOELCHEMIE in
Dormagen, Germany. The accident occurred while filling a
tanker with gasoline. Local citizens had to keep their doors and
windows closed as a giant cloud of black soot filled the air.[282]
Two chemical workers suffered on a tank truck on

company premises, and were relocated to a place
outside the works by Bayer officials wanting to avoid
investigations and compensation claims.
Eight people have died in the last six years in this
factory with 2500 - 1600 employees, three alone as
a result of sulphuric acid burns. There have also
been cases of contamination with phosgene,
chromium and highly toxic phosphoric esters.
In 1996 12 tons of Toluylendiamine (TDA), a
carcinogenic substance, spilled out of a pipe at
Bayer's Dormagen facility. Two workers were
hospitalized.[283]
References
211 'Scientist and Industrial Manager: Emil Fischer and Carl Duisberg' by Dietrich
Stoltzenberg, Center for German and European Studies, University of California at
Berkeley, March 1997 available online at http://www.ciaonet.org/wps/std01
212 'Ehre dem Giftgas-Erfinder: Uni Bonn bleibt bei Ehrentitel für Gerhard
Schrader' by Otto Köhler used in a BayerWatch/CBG Network exhibition 1995,
extracted from an original article in 'Konkret' journal. See also http://
www.cbwinfo.com/nervgen.shtml
213 ibid 214 and 'Organophosphorous Intoxication' by Dherej Khurana and S.
Prabhakar. Available online at http://archneur.ama-assn.org/issues/v57n4/pdf/
nhn8264.pdf
214 http://www.cbwinfo.com/nervgen.shtml
215 'Formeln für US-Nervengase sollen aus Bayer-Labors stammen' by Günter
Hollenstein in Frankfurter Rundschau 23.3.84.
216 for a personal account of a Jewish chemist forced to work for IG Farben read
'If This is a Man' (also published as 'Surviving Auschwitz') by Primo Levi
217 'Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler' By Antony C. Sutton. 1976. Chapter 2 'The
Empire of IG Farben' available online at http://reformed-theology.org/html/books/
wall_street/chapter_02.htm. Also look at 'Germany: Farben to Create Slave Labor
Fund'. Associated Press 23.08.00. http://www.corpwatch.org/news/
PND.jsp?articleid=600
218 curezone.com file on Bayer AG online at http://www.curezone.com/art/
read.asp?ID=37&C0=1
219 'Global Parasites, Five Hundred Years of Western Culture' Winin Pereira and
Jeremy Seabrook, 1994, Earthcare Books, p137-138

220 The Great Boycott available online at: http://boycot.port5.com/foodendrug/

fooddoc/Hoechst.htm
221 CGB Network Keycode Bayer No. 9 http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/
Newsletter_KCB/KCB__09/kcb__09.html and 'Offer called too low to compensate
Nazi-era slave laborers' CNN website news 05.10.99. available online at: http://
www.cnn.com/US/9910/05/nazi.labor/
222 "Headaches for Bayer: Auschwitz Survivor says Pharmaceutical Giant Aided
Nazis" by Brian Ross 11.06.00. available online at: available online at: ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_990611bayer.html
Also look at 'Germany: Farben to Create Slave Labor Fund'. Associated Press
23.08.00. available online at: http://www.corpwatch.org/news/
PND.jsp?articleid=600
IG Farben To Make Slave Labor Fund By Oliver Schmale 23.08.2000. available
online at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20000823/aponline220934_
000.htm
"Holocaust survivor sues Bayer" in CBG Network newsletter available online at:
http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__14/kcb__14.html
'Menschenversuche: Bayer finanzierte Folter in KZ' by Peter-Ferdinand Koch 1996
sourced from CBG Network Archive, Dusseldorf.
223 UNPress release on Press Conference on Democratic Republic of Congo
Report available online at:
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2001/DRCPressCfc.doc.htm
'UN accuses Bayer of stocking DRC war' in the 'Namibian' 07,06,01, available
online at:
http://www.namibian.com.na/2001/June/marketplace/01F4ACEAD2.html
'Guns, Money and Cell Phones' In the Industry Standard 11.06.2001. available
online at:
http://www.idg.net/english/crd_tantalum_743818.html
'A Moral Minefield' - Michael Bond and Colette Braeckman originally published in
New Scientist available online at www.mastaction.org/WhatsNew/News.htm
'Vital Ore Funds Congo's War: Combatants Profit From Col-Tan Trade' By Karl
Vick Washington Post. 19.03.01. available online at: http://www.unimondo.org/
bukavu/english/docs_en/Coltan_en.html; http://www.findarticles.com/m3MKT/80_
109/74034527/p1/article.jhtml
224 'Report of the panel of experts on the illegal exploitation of natural resources
and other forms of wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo' UN Security
Council Report, 12.04.01
225 'THE COLTAN PHENOMENON: How a rare mineral has changed the life of
the population of war-torn North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic
Republic of Congo' published by the POLE INSTITUTE, 2001 www.pole-
institute.org
226 'Save patent, risk lives?' published in the San Francisco Chronicle on
22.10.01. Available online at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/10/22/
ED214233.DTL (date viewed: 04.02.02)
227 'Cipro Price Fixing Litigation' by Gilman and Pastor, LLP (a Massachusetts law
firm). Available online at: http://www.gilmanpastor.com/Cases/case.asp?id=16
(date viewed: 04.02.02)
228 'World TRIPS over US pill plans' published in the San Fransisco Examiner,
available online at:
http://www.examiner.com/business/default.jsp?story=b.wto.1105w (source: San
Francisco Examiner, date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Bayer, Anthrax and Cipro' by the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, available online
at: http://www.cbgnetwork.com/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__46/kcb__46.html
'Anthrax, Drug Transnationals and TRIPs' by the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers,
available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.com/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__50/
kcb__50.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
229 'Demonstration at Bayer's plant in Berkely, March 5th 2001' by the Coalition
Against Bayer Dangers, available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.com/home/
Newsletter_KCB/KCB__32___/kcb__32___.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Aids drugs case adjourned' published by CNN.com on 18.04.01, available online
at: http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/04/18/safrica.drugs.02/ (date viewed:
04.02.02)
230 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/newsletter/issue4/nl4news.html
231 'Justice Department's ongoing probe into the food and feed additives industry
yields second largest fine ever, Bayer Subsidiary Agrees to Pay $50 Million
Criminal Fine', official statement by the US government, published on 29.01.97,

available online at: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/1997/January97/039at.htm (date

viewed: 04.02.02)
232 '$6.7 Million in Fines Paid by Jungbunzlauer International A.G. and Haarmann
& Reimer Corporation for Violations of the Competition Act', Press Release by the
Canadian government (21.10.98). Available online at: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/
ct01318e.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
233 'Bayer to cut Medicaid drug prices, giant must pay states $14 million' by the the
Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, available online at:http://www.cbgnetwork.org/
home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__44/kcb__44.html
234 'The Tightening Grip of Big Pharmaceutical Companies', by Dr. Joseph
Mercola, available online at: http://www.mercola.com/2001/may/2/pharmacy.htm
235 'Know the source', by A.J. Nomai, available online at: http://
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/1818/2_5sources.htm (date viewed: 04.02.02)
236 'Project FAAIR: Facts about Antibiotics in Animals and Their Impact on
Resistance' by APUA -Alliance For the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. Availabel online
at: http://www.healthsci.tufts.edu/apua/Ecology/faair.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
A selection of Non-Profit Organisations with ties to industry, presented online by
Integrity in Science, available at: http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/corp_funding.html
(date viewed: 04.02.-02)
'Bayer, Hill's make "a commitment ... not seen before"' published in the American
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association on 15.09.97 Available
online at:
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/sep97/s091597d.htm (date viewed: 04.02.02)
237 'German Corporation Bayer donated £120.000 to Bush' by the the Coalition
Against Bayer Dangers, available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/
Newsletter_KCB/KCB__23/kcb__23.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Rebuttal to Bayer's False Claims regarding FDA's Proposed Ban on
Fluoroquinolones' by the the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, available online at:
http://www.citizen.org/congress/reform/drug_industry/contribution/
articles.cfm?ID=799 (date viewed: 04.02.02)
An overview of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers contributing to US Elections,
presented by Open Secrets, available online at: http://www.opensecrets.org/
industries/contrib.asp?Ind=H4300 (date viewed: 04.02.02)
238 '100 years of Aspirins, white pills with dirty spots' by the the Coalition Against
Bayer Dangers, available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_
KCB/KCB__10/kcb__10.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
239 'Commerce Department Imposes $200,000 Penalty on U.S. Firm for
Unlicensed Exports', Press Release (01.03.00) by The Bureau of Export
Administration, US Department of Commerce. Available online at:
http://www.bxa.doc.gov/press/Archive2000/Bayer200K.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
240 'BAYER CORP. attacks critical coverage', by the Coalition Against Bayer
Dangers. Available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/Newsletter_KCB/
KCB__40/kcb__40.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
241 A piece of text on the World bank's efforts to promote large-scale agriculture,
published by the Whirled Bank Group, an action group which criticizes and
exposes World bank policies. Available online at: http://www.whirledbank.org/
environment/agriculture.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Poison Profits, the G-7 Pesticide Industry's Stake in the World Bank'. A fact sheet
composed by '50 Years is Enough', a US Network for Global Economic Justice.
Available online at: http://www.50years.org/factsheets/pesticide.html (date viewed:
04.02.02)
242 An elaborate overview of Bayer's famous drug Aspirin by Pharmaceutical
Achievers. Available online at: http://www.chemheritage.org/EducationalServices/
pharm/asp/asp80.htm (date viewed: 04.02.02)
Short essay about heroin, published by the Center for Uniform Drug Law. Available
online at:
http://www.netaxs.com/~sparky/policy/heroin.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'100 years of heroin from Bayer, history of a 'cough' medicine', by the the Coalition
Against Bayer Dangers, available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/
243 Bayer's heroin ads can be viewed online at: http://www.heroin.org/sample/ and
http://members.dencity.com/warmth/opi004.htm (date viewed: 04.02.02)
244 An intro to the crimes and punishmant of I.G.Farben, available online at: http://
home.earthlink.net/~x288files/I.G.intro.htm (date viewed: 04.02.02)
245 'UK: Bayer in Illegal Drug Trial Scandal', by the the Coalition Against Bayer
Dangers. Available online at:
http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__27/kcb__27.html (date

viewed: 04.02.02)
246 A petition to require a warning on all Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics (HRG
Publication #1399) composed by the American-based NGO Health Research Group
on 01.08.96. Available online at:
http://www.citizen.org/publications/release.cfm?ID=6595 (date viewed: 04.02.02)
247 'FDA Says Withdrawn Bayer Drug Linked to 31 Deaths', published by TALK
News on 08.08.01. Available online at: www.talkinternational.com/news_health_
august_08a_01.htm (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Baycol linked to 52 deaths' published by CNN Business News on 11/08/01.
Available online at: http://europe.cnn.com/2001/BUSINESS/08/13/bayer (date
viewed: 04.02.02)
The following web site provides information on the side effects associated with the
cholesterol medication Baycol®:
http://www.baycol-side-effects.org (date viewed: 04.02.02)
A short piece on Bayer and its withdrawing of Baycol by lawfirm Sherman Salkow
Petoyan & Weber. Available at:
http://www.baycol-recall.org (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Bayer withdraws cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol/Lipobay', published by The
Bayer Press Service on 08.08.01
Available online at: http://www.news.bayer.com/news/news.nsf/ID/01-0219 (date
viewed: 04.02.02)
The following site provides lots of information on class actions undertaken against
Bayer after the company withdraw Baycol: http://baycollitigation.com/index2.html
'Bayer drops sharply after announcing it will pull drug from market' by the the
Coalition Against Bayer Dangers. Available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.com/
home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__43/kcb__43.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
248 'Deaths linked to Bayer cholesterol drug double PHARMACEUTICALS NEWS
SPARKS FALL IN GERMAN GROUP'S SHARES', By David Firn, Financial Times;
Jan 19, 2002.
249 'The sanitation of Dhuennaue', by the the Coalition Against Bayer Dangers.
Available online at:
viewed: 04.02.02)
Research findings (on drugs no longer in development) by the Alzheimer Research
Forum, 26/04/00.
http://www.alzforum.org/members/research/drugs/metrifonate.html (date viewed:
04.02.02)
250 US government sued Bayer Corp. Read the consent decree by US Attorney
Robert J. Clearly online at: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2000/01/sterlingdecree.htm (date
viewed: 04.02.02)
251 '100 years of Aspirin, white pills with dirty spots', by the Coalition Against Bayer
Dangers. Available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/
KCB__10/kcb__10.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
252 'Settlement with Corporations Ends Long Fight over AIDS, Tainted Blood',
published in The Chicago Tribune, 7 May 1997. Available online at: http://
www.aegis.com/news/ct/1997/CT970501.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Technology & Health: Baxter, Bayer Join Japanese Settlement For Hemophiliacs
Who Got AIDS Virus', published in The Wall Street Journal, 15 March 1996.
Available online at:
http://www.aegis.com/news/wsj/1996/WJ960306.html (date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Technology & Health: Most Hemophiliacs Reject Settlement From Baxter, Bayer on
Infection Suit', published in
The Wall Street Journal - May 14, 1996. Available online at: http://www.aegis.com/
news/wsj/1996/WJ960502.html
Also see CBG newsletters 7, 8, 9, 12, 13
253 'Protecting the Crown Jewels of Medicine, A strategic plan to preserve the
effectiveness of antibiotics', a report written by Patricia Lieberman and Margo G.
Wootan. Copyright © 1998 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Available online at: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/abiotic.htm (date viewed:
04.02.02)
http://www.cspinet.org/ar/ar_bayer.html (source: Center for Science in the Public
Interest, date viewed: 04.02.02)
'Antibiotic Resistance, from down on the chicken farm', published in the FDA
Consumer magazine, January-February 2001. Available online at: http://
www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/101_chic.html (source: Food and Drug
Administration, date viewed: 04.02.02)
http://www.cspinet.org/ar/index.html (source: Center for Science in the Public
Interest, date viewed: 04.02.02)

Also see CBG newsletters 22, 36, 49

254 A profile on Bayer AG, composed by Cure Zone.com, a web site providing
information on health issues: http://www.curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=37&C0=1
'Pesticides residues in food -1982', by IPCS Inchem, Chemical Safety Information
from Intergovernmental Organizations. Text available online at: http://
www.inchem.org/documents/jmpr/jmpmono/v82pr24.htm
255 A profile on Bayer AG, composed by Cure Zone.com, a web site containing
information on health issues: http://www.curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=37&C0=1
256 'Bayer-Pesticides in Toxic Dump in Nepal', article published on the UK
Indymedia web site. Available online at:
http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=14812&group=webcast (source: UK
Independent media, date viewed: 05.02.02))
'Organophosphate Madness?', published in Corporate Watch Magazine, Issue 12,
Autumn 2000, available online at:
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/magazine/issue12/cw12f5.html (date viewed:
05.02.02)
'Bayer-Pesticides in Toxic Dump in Nepal', published in CBG Newsletter, Issue 47,
http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__47/kcb__47.html (date
viewed: 05.02.02)
257 'For environmental protection and secure jobs at BAYER - worldwide!', by the
Coaltion Against Bayer Dangers,
published in CBG Newsletter, Issue 13, available online at:
viewed: 05.02.02)
'Twenty years protecting the ocean from waste dumping', prepared for Greenpeace
International by
Rémi Parmentier. Available online at: www.greenpeace.org/~comms/97/
oceandump/radioactive/reports/history.html
258 'No time to waste', source: Greenpeace, available online at:
www.greenpeace.org/~comms/vrml/rw/text/t11.html (date viewed: 05.02.02)
259 'The sanitation of Dhuennaue', published in CBG Newsletter, Issue 15,
www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__15/kcb__15.html (date viewed:
05.02.02)
260 'French Authorities Ban Pesticide Gaucho', published in CBG Newsletter,
Issue 15, available online at:
http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__30___/kcb__30___.html
261 'Scientists link pesticides to child leukemia', by Tom Peterkin Health
Correspondent, available on the Generation Green web site: http://
www.generationgreen.org/UK%20carbamates%20article.htm (date viewed:
05.02.02)
'Scientists link Bayer's Baygon to Child Leukaemia', published in CBG Newsletter,
Issue 37, available online at:
http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__37___/kcb__37___.html
Bayer's own site shows all Baygon products: http://www.baygon.com/en/index-
e.html (date viewed: 05.02.02)
262 http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/fenthion/fenthionsum.htm (source: EPA, date
viewed: 05.02.02)
http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__26/kcb__26.html (source:
Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, date viewed: 05.02.02)
An overview of Registered Pesticide Products in the Philippines, available online
at:
http://www.fadinap.org/philippines/registrd%20pesticide.htm (date viewed:
05.02.02)
Information about: Fenthion, by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN), available
online at:
http://data.pesticideinfo.org/4DAction/GetChemRecord/PC33351 (date viewed:
05.02.02)
263 http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__14/kcb__14.html
(source: Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, date viewed: 05.02.02)
http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__16/kcb__16.html (source:
Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, date viewed: 05.02.02)

264 www.corpwatch.org/bulletin/2001/0091.html (source: Corporate Watch UK,

date viewed: 05.02.02)
www.pan-uk.org/press/perupois.htm (source: Pesticide Action Network, date
viewed: 05.02.02)
www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/actives/methylpa.htm (source: Pesticide Action Network,
www.inchem.org/documents/jmpr/jmpmono/v080pr28.htm (source: IPCS Inchem,
Chemical Safety Information
from Intergovernmental Organizations, date viewed: 05.02.02)
www.inchem.org/documents/jmpr/jmpmono/v84pr63.htm (source: IPCS Inchem,
Chemical Safety Information
from Intergovernmental Organizations, date viewed: 05.02.02)
265 'What Price Economic Growth? Protests over a project reverberate through
Taiwan', by Sangwon Suh and Laurence Eyton / Taipei, published in Asiaweek
Magazine, 8 November 1996, available online at:
http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/96/1108/biz5.html (date viewed: 05.02.02)
266 http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__10/kcb__10.html
267 http://www.pan-uk.org/press/perupois.htm (source: Pesticide Action Network
UK, date viewed: 05.02.02)
'Parents of victims sue Bayer', story on Bayer in Peru, published in 'Weekly News
Update on the Americas', available online at: http://www.americas.org/news/nir/
20011104_parents_of_victims_sue_bayer.asp (date viewed: 05.02.02)
http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/actives/methylpa.htm (source: Pesticide Action
Network, date viewed: 05.02.02)
Information about the pesticide industry, provided in the documentary Toxic Trail.
Toxic Trail was broadcast in two parts on BBC World in April 2001. The following
website provides additional information about the issues which are shown in the
Toxic Trail documentary: http://www.toxictrail.org (date viewed: 05.02.02)
'Where Does the Circle Begin? The Global Dangers of Pesticide Plants', by Angus
Wright. Global Pesticide Campaigner, Volume 4, Number 4, December 1994.
Available online at: http://www.panna.org/panna/resources/_pestis/
PESTIS.burst.685.html (date viewed: 05.02.02)
268 'KAMUKHAAN: A POISONED VILLAGE', an article on Bayer's polluting
activities in the Philippines, by Dr. Romeo Quijano, College of Medicine, University
of Manila/Philippines. Available on the Safer World web site, at: http://www.safer-
world.org/e/countries/Asia/philippines.htm (date viewed: 05.02.02)
269 'History of the antibiotic growth promoter ban in Sweden and Denmark, by
Deborah Huang, CSPI, Centre for Science in the Public Interest, available online
at: http://www.farmanimals.net/ban_background.htm (date viewed: 05.02.02)
'Community legislation in force', European Commission Document, available online
at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/lif/dat/1998/en_398R2788.html (date viewed:
05.02.02)
http://www.transnationale.org/anglais/fiches/161.htm (source: transnationale, date
viewed: 05.02.02)
'Ban of antibiotic growth promoters in the EU', can be viewed online at: http://
www.delacon.com/englisch/espezial.htm (date viewed: 05.02.02)
http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__14/kcb__14.html
270 'Cold remedies pulled from shelves', by HealthAtoz.com, a family's health web
site: http://www.healthatoz.com/atoz/healthupdate/alert11082000.html (date
viewed: 05.02.02)
PPA Update, published on Williams Dailey O'Leary Craine & Love's (people who
represent individuals who have been injured by dangerous drugs like
Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and Baycol) web site: http://www.wdolaw.com/Press/
PPAUpdate.htm (date viewed: 05.02.02)
The Final Report of The Hemorrhagic Stroke Project, May 10, 2000, prepared on
behalf of the HSP Investigators. Available online at: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/
dockets/ac/00/backgrd/3647b1_tab19.doc (date viewed: 05.02.02)
Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Information Page, by the Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research. Available online at: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/
default.htm (date viewed: 05.02.02)
http://www9.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/11/07/drug.warning.ap/index.html (source:
CNN, date viewed: 05.02.02)
http://www9.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/11/06/ppa.02/ (source: CNN, date viewed:
05.02.02)
http://www9.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/10/19/drug.stroke/index.html (source: CNN,
http://www9.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/11/04/fda.drug/index.html (source: CNN, date

viewed: 05.02.02)
271 'PCB clean-up and manufacturer liability, pre-study on a possible cause of
legal action for Oslo Port Authority' by Advokatfirmaet Føyen & Co ANS (an Oslo
firm of lawyers) in cooperation with Friends of the Earth Norway. Available online
at: http://www.naturvern.no/gift/hvem/rapport.var (date viewed: 05.02.02)
'Bioremediation of PBC contaminated material', by Cadwell Environmental, the
company claims to be a leader in the development of biological products for the
removal of fats, oils, and grease, solid wastes and hydrocarbons from the
environment. Text available online at: http://www.caldwellenvironmental.com/
pcb.htm (date viewed: 05.02.02)
http://www.cbgnetwork.de/home/Newsletter_KCB/KCB__34___/kcb__34___.html
272 'Clean up Bayer!' Greenpeace reports about its investigation of Bayer and the
company's polluting activities. Search the Greenpeace web site for 'Bayer' [http://
www.greenpeace.org/search.shtml] Many articles will come up.
273 'Pesticide Dump Sickens Pakistan Residents', source: Environmental News
Service, Posted to the Web July 20, 1998, at: http://www.poptel.org.uk/panap/pm/
nfa-pm7.htm#Dump (date viewed: 05.02.02)
274 'The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Bayer Corp. In
Baytown, TX, for safety and health violations, with penalties, totaling $135,900.
OSHA Regional News Release, US Department of Labor, Office of Public Affairs.
Read about the lawsuit at: http://www.osha.gov/media/oshnews/dec00/reg6-
20001220.html (date viewed: 05.02.02)
276 The Corporate Crime Reporter, Washington, interview with Philipp Mimkes,
Coordination Against Bayer Dangers, Germany. Read the interview online at: http://
www.safer-world.org/e/topics/ngo/cbg/cbd.htm
(source: Coordination Against Bayer Dangers, Germany, date viewed: 05.02.02)
278 'BAYER in Brazil and Germany: double standards', source: Coordination
Against Bayer Dangers, Germany, article available online at: http://
home.earthlink.net/~alto/bayer2.html (date viewed: 05.02.02)
279 Extract from the decree of the district attorney at the Rio de Janeiro labour
court, 3 June 1994, available online at: http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/
281 'Trade unionists not welcome', source: Coordination Against Bayer Dangers,
Germany, text available online at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~alto/bayer2.html (date viewed: 05.02.02)
282 'Three dead in an explosion', published in CDG Magazine, Issue 15, available
online at:
283 'Damaged pipe in Dormagen/Germany', published in CDG Magazine, Issue
09, available online at:
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2007 Bayer AG - Corporate Crimes

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Bayer AG : Corporate Crimes Page 1

Company Files Corporate Crimes Bayer AG

5.5. Abusing Workers

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

Tabun was then mass produced by IG Farben during WWII

The links between chemicals developed as 'pesticides' with

Bayer, IG Farben and World War II: Slave Labour and

Bayer head Carl Duisberg personally propagated the concept of

On 29 July 1948, sentences for mass murder and slavery were

After the war, IG Farben separated into three giant

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

elevated to the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Bayer, IG Farben and Human Experiments[222]

Bayer and the Congo War [223]

5.2. Scams, Blags and Corporate Bullying

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

Anthrax Drug Monopoly

Gilman and Pastor, LLP, are now prosecuting a nationwide

The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary threatened to

South Africa AIDS drugs lawsuit[229]

Citric Acid Monopoly[231]

The Canadian anti-trust commission also found Haarman &

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

while simultaneously pocketing money at the expense of

Suppressing Scientific Information[234]

Bayer donates over $500,000 a year to the American Heart

Bayer donates money to the Alliance for the Prudent Use of

In addition, Bayer donates exorbitant amounts of money to

Bayer also admitted to supporting the "further education" of

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

1995 to promote the prescribing of Ciproxin in Portugal. He

"Green Revolution" or Pesticide Dependence?[241]

5.3. Pharmaceutical Phailings

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

discovered the mixture of morphine and acetic acid, Bayer was

Ciproxin and Dangerous Human Trials[245]

This information was not revealed to the hospitals before up to

Stephen Karran, a retired consultant surgeon from

Meanwhile, Ciproxin has been found to lead to tendon

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

pain, weakness, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Bayer admitted

Metrifonate and Muscular Weakness[249]

Aspirin and False Advertising

Bayer also continues to offer aspirin packaged specifically for

HIV and HEP C Contaminated Blood Preparations [252]

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

infecting haemophiliacs with HIV and hepatitis C with

Bayer paid 10 Taiwanese citizens, who were infected with the

Many lawsuits have been filed by those who contracted

Creating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria [253]

Using Baytril and other fluoroquinolenes in poultry and cattle

After data collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

Bayer refused to comply with the proposed ban and instead

Many NGOs, such as the federal Centers for Disease Control

5.4. Pesticides and Poisons

Because of the health and environmental risks associated with

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=200 11/19/2007 10:28:46 AM

1983. The use of PCB in Germany remained more or less

Bayer pesticides in toxic dump in Nepal [256]

Liquid waste containing lead, cadmium and mercury was

A hundred thousand cubic meters of chemical waste were also