Benzene Levels Spike Near Haifa Oil Refineries; Schools Closed
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Unusually high benzene levels were detected near the Bazan oil refineries in Haifa Bay, prompting the closure of two schools in Kiryat Ata on Monday. The Ministry of Health, in coordination with other agencies, advised residents within a kilometer of the refineries to limit outdoor exposure. Mayor Yakov Peretz is demanding an immediate halt to all maintenance work at Bazan until air quality is assured. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has ordered a stop to maintenance and requires a corrective action plan before work can resume.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- High benzene levels near Haifa Bay's Bazan oil refineries led to school closures in Kiryat Ata.
- Two schools in Kiryat Ata will not hold regular classes on Monday due to the pollution.
- Residents within 1km of the refineries are advised to limit outdoor activity.
- The Ministry of Environmental Protection halted maintenance work at Bazan.
- Kiryat Ata's mayor is demanding an immediate stop to all maintenance at the facility.
Unusually high levels of benzene have been detected in recent days near the Oil Refineries Ltd. (Bazan) complex in Haifa Bay. Consequently, classes at the HaTichon HaSociali and Arzim schools in Kiryat Ata will not be held in their usual format on Monday. The Ministry of Health, in consultation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality, has ordered that studies be moved to alternative locations. Residents within a one-kilometer radius of the refineries, especially children and pregnant women, are advised to limit outdoor activities.
The Mayor of Kiryat Ata, Yakov Peretz, is actively engaging with government officials and Bazan management, demanding an immediate halt to all maintenance work at the facility. He insists that such work should not resume until air quality is guaranteed. The municipality emphasized that the health of children and residents is its top priority, and its education administration is in constant contact with the Ministry of Education to prepare for any directives regarding schooling.
According to statements from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, these elevated benzene concentrations were measured on October 9 and 10 during periodic maintenance and damage repair work at the complex, which sustained damage during the war. On October 11, high levels were also recorded at a monitoring station in Haifa near the old licensing office, and by a mobile monitoring unit in Kiryat Ata. While benzene levels decreased at a Kiryat Ata monitoring station on Monday morning, they rose again in the afternoon. Other environmental monitoring stations around the complex registered normal values over the weekend.
In response to the readings, the Ministry of Environmental Protection ordered a halt to the maintenance work after an urgent clarification call with the plant's representatives. The ministry also demanded that the operators investigate the incident and submit a detailed plan for maintenance and preventative measures before work can resume. The ministries also recommended that workers in the industrial zone close windows and use air conditioning. A further assessment will be held on Tuesday based on monitoring data, and the public will be updated.
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