Haifa Mayor Blasts Government Over Benzene Levels, School Closures
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav condemned the government and Bazan oil refineries after high benzene levels forced the closure of two schools and led to health warnings for residents. He demanded immediate government action to investigate the pollution, protect public health, and enforce the closure of refineries by 2029. Authorities are monitoring the situation and will reassess measures on Monday.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav criticized the government and Bazan over high benzene levels causing school closures.
- Two schools were closed, and residents were advised to limit outdoor activity due to the pollution.
- Yahav demanded an investigation into the cause of the benzene spikes and stricter oversight of polluting factories.
- He reiterated the demand for the closure of oil refineries by 2029, calling residents "not second-class citizens."
- Environmental and health ministries will reassess the situation on Monday based on ongoing air quality monitoring.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav has sharply criticized the Israeli government and the Bazan oil refinery complex following the detection of unusually high benzene levels in the Haifa Bay area. The elevated pollution led to the closure of two schools and prompted health advisories for residents. Yahav accused the government of failing to address the ongoing issue of polluting factories operating within populated areas, stating that the public is bearing the cost.
"What else needs to happen for the Israeli government to wake up?" Yahav questioned, highlighting that the benzene, a carcinogen, necessitated the closure of the social high school located at the DSH plant and the Arzim school in the industrial zone. The municipality is coordinating with the Ministry of Education and will follow any directives regarding the students' education. The city pledged to monitor the situation and take necessary steps to protect public health.
On Sunday, high benzene concentrations were also recorded near the old licensing office in Haifa and continued in Kiryat Ata. While levels decreased in the morning, they rose again in the afternoon. Residents living within a kilometer of the refinery were advised to limit outdoor activity, especially children and pregnant women, and workers in the industrial zone were told to keep windows closed and use air conditioning.
Yahav demanded that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health halt any work that caused the irregularities until a full investigation is completed. He also called for a full account from Bazan and stricter oversight, enforcement, and transparency from government ministries regarding monitoring results.
"The residents of Haifa and the Krayot are not second-class citizens. Their health is not a free-for-all, and their children are not guinea pigs," Yahav asserted. He reiterated his call for the government to fulfill its commitment to close the oil refineries by 2029, demanding an end to delays and excuses and urging the government to stop abandoning the residents of the Haifa metropolitan area.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health announced that a reassessment would take place starting Monday, based on air quality monitoring results. Benzene levels will continue to be monitored, and the public will be updated if further measures are required.
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