Negev Mayors Warn of Job Losses Over Rotem Amfert Waste Pond Dispute
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Mayors of four southern Israeli cities warned Prime Minister Netanyahu that the Rotem Amfert factory's operations are at risk due to a dispute over acidic waste storage ponds, potentially costing thousands of jobs. Environmental groups accuse the company of using workers as a shield to avoid building a new, safer pond, a commitment made nearly 30 years ago. The decision rests with the National Planning and Building Council, with current ponds set to reach capacity by 2027. The construction of a new pond is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of shekels.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Southern Israeli mayors warned of job losses if Rotem Amfert factory's waste pond issue isn't resolved.
- Environmental groups accuse Rotem Amfert of using workers as a shield to avoid building a new pond.
- The factory's current waste ponds are expected to reach capacity by early 2027.
- A new pond's construction is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of shekels.
- The Nahal Ashalim disaster in 2017 is cited as a warning against further environmental failures.
Mayors of four southern Israeli cities have warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government that the operational continuity of the Rotem Amfert factory is at risk, potentially impacting thousands of jobs in the Negev region. The mayors of Beersheba, Yeruham, Dimona, and Arad sent a letter highlighting that a disruption to the factory's operations would affect not only its direct employees but also those in ancillary services like catering and transportation.
The dispute centers on the upcoming decision by the National Planning and Building Council's Appeals Subcommittee regarding the use of existing acidic waste storage ponds. ICL, Rotem Amfert's parent company, has appealed to extend the use of these ponds for another five years, while environmental groups are demanding a new pond be constructed, citing the 2017 Nahal Ashalim disaster. The current ponds are expected to reach capacity by early 2027, and their closure without an alternative could halt production.
The construction of a new phosphogypsum/evaporation pond to handle hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of acidic wastewater is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of shekels. In their letter, the mayors emphasized the broad implications of the decision, affecting thousands of families, the economic resilience of the periphery, and a key industrial hub in the south.
Environmental and social groups have criticized the mayors' stance, accusing them of prioritizing the financial interests of tycoon Idan Ofer over their constituents' environment. Lobby 99 stated that Rotem Amfert is cynically using its workers as a human shield to avoid responsibility for a failure it created. The organization pointed out that the company had committed in 1998 to cease using the old, hazardous ponds and build a new, safe one, but has instead repeatedly used threats of layoffs to gain extensions.
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel echoed these concerns, calling the Nahal Ashalim disaster a stark warning against further environmental failures. They argue that planning authorities cannot allow Rotem Amfert to continue relying on outdated infrastructure, especially after the company allegedly ignored warnings about the ponds' instability for two decades, warnings that materialized in the Ashalim disaster. They stressed that building a new, safer pond is not just an environmental demand but a moral and public obligation to prevent future catastrophes and protect the region's nature, wildlife, tourism, and economy.
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