Benzene Leak Prompts School Closures and Public Health Warnings Near Haifa Refineries

Emergency health and environmental guidelines were issued Sunday night for residents near the Bazan oil refinery complex in northern Israel following the detection of unusually high levels of the carcinogen benzene. As a dramatic measure, classes were immediately canceled for the next 24 hours at the Ha'Chaverti High School and Erezim School in Kiryat Ata, with students to be relocated to alternative sites. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health also issued an unusual warning for the general population within a kilometer of the refineries, particularly advising children and pregnant women to limit outdoor activity. Workers in the industrial zone were advised to close windows and use air conditioning.

The source of the pollution was identified as ongoing maintenance and repair work at the Bazan complex, stemming from damage sustained during the recent conflict. Abnormal benzene concentrations were first measured over the weekend by a mobile monitoring station near the Dashanim industrial area in Kiryat Ata. While initial readings at other stations were normal, the pollution spread, with high levels detected by Saturday at another monitoring station in Haifa. Although a temporary decrease was noted Monday morning, pollution levels surged again in the afternoon.

In response to the alarming data, the Ministry of Environmental Protection held an urgent meeting with refinery representatives and ordered an immediate halt to the maintenance work. The ministry stipulated that the refinery must investigate the incident and present a detailed plan to prevent future breaches before resuming operations. The ministry also reiterated its commitment to the government's policy and the "TAMA 75" plan to permanently cease petrochemical activity in the Haifa Bay area to protect public health.

The environmental umbrella organization, the Environmental Staff, declared the situation a national emergency, stating that the Bazan complex exposes thousands of children to carcinogens daily and that this incident is an escalation of an ongoing health threat. They characterized the area as an environmental disaster zone requiring national emergency status, emphasizing that the security of residents and all Israeli citizens should not be precarious. The organization blamed the political system, urging the Minister of Education to support the students and parents and questioning the lack of public outcry over children breathing toxins. They called on political parties to commit to accelerating the closure of polluting factories and to immediately freeze plans for new fossil fuel power plants, concluding that national security is impossible without environmental security.