Haifa Mayor Warns of 'True Alarm' Over Refinery Pollution
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav declared a "true alarm" over severe pollution from oil refineries, which caused two schools to close and prompted health warnings. High levels of the carcinogen benzene were detected near the Bazan refinery complex. Yahav demanded an immediate halt to polluting activities, accountability from the refinery, and reiterated his call for the refineries to be shut down by 2029.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav declared a "true alarm" over severe pollution near oil refineries.
- The pollution incident led to the closure of two schools and a public health warning.
- Unusually high concentrations of the carcinogen benzene were detected near the Bazan refinery.
- Mayor Yahav demanded that polluting work cease until a full investigation is completed.
- He reiterated his demand for the oil refineries to be shut down by 2029.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav issued a stern warning following severe pollution near the city's oil refineries, which led to the closure of two schools and a public health alert. "When schools are closed due to carcinogenic materials in the air, it's no longer a warning light, it's a true alarm," Yahav stated on Monday, demanding an end to the "recklessness." The pollution, characterized by unusually high concentrations of the carcinogen benzene, prompted authorities to order the closure of the Arzim school and advise workers in the industrial zone to seal windows and use air conditioning. This incident follows reports that classes continued at one school despite benzene levels three times the legal limit.
Yahav criticized the ongoing operation of polluting factories within a populated metropolitan area, stating that residents are forced to pay the price for the environmental negligence. He called on the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health to ensure that the work causing the pollution is halted until a full investigation is completed, and to implement all necessary measures to protect the public. He also demanded a full account from the Bazan refinery and strict oversight, enforcement, and transparency from government ministries regarding monitoring results.
Furthermore, the mayor reiterated his call for the closure of the oil refineries by 2029, a demand he recently presented to all party leaders. "This incident proves once again why the decision cannot be postponed even for a day," Yahav asserted, emphasizing that Haifa and Kiryat Atz's residents are not second-class citizens and their health is not to be trifled with. He concluded by urging the Israeli government to cease abandoning the residents of the Haifa metropolitan area.
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