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A New Bhopal in Silicon Valley? An Environmentalist Critique of the Chemical Risks in the Semiconductor Industry

The "Materialities of the Digital" working group welcomes Christophe Lécuyer, historian of science and technology at LIP6 and professor at Sorbonne University, for a presentation titled: "A New Bhopal in Silicon Valley? Environmentalist Critique of the Chemical Risks of the Semiconductor Industry."

Event, Research Seminar

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Salle G009, 28 rue des Saints-Pères, 75007 Paris

Summary

The fabrication of integrated circuits relies heavily on the use of highly toxic gases. During the second half of the 1980s, the Bhopal disaster sparked a fierce controversy over their use in Silicon Valley. Concerned about the potential release of deadly gases into the atmosphere by semiconductor plants, local fire brigades drafted an ordinance regulating their storage and use. The microelectronics companies opposed this ordinance and campaigned for more lenient rules.

In 1987, the intergovernmental council of Santa Clara County ruled in favor of strict regulation of toxic gases and required the industry to develop a revised ordinance in collaboration with the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, an environmental advocacy group. The toxic gas ordinance forced Silicon Valley companies to make significant investments in securing their facilities. It was later incorporated into the Uniform Fire Code, setting the standard for the use of hazardous gases across the American West.

Biography

The "Materialities of the Digital" working group at the Center for Internet & Society (CNRS) is dedicated to fostering multidisciplinary exchanges. It aims to integrate perspectives from the humanities and social sciences—including sociology, anthropology, history, geography, and political science—with those from fields such as computer science, chemistry, physics, geology, electronics, and materials science and engineering. This approach seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the materialities of the digital. The group also strives to open the dialogue to diverse audiences, including activists, artists, industry professionals, policymakers, workers, and journalists, to enrich discussions on these multifaceted issues. 

Practical information

The session will be held in a hybrid format, both via videoconference (Zoom) and in person at Sciences Po (28 rue des Saints-Pères, 75007). Prior registration is mandatory.