Bazan Refinery's Gadiv Plant Resumes Operations After Environmental Incident

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has permitted the Gadiv plant, part of the Bazan oil refinery complex, to resume maintenance work one week after an unusual pollution incident led to a temporary halt and the evacuation of two schools. Gadiv produces aromatic products, which are petroleum-based, non-fuel items used in industries like chemicals and cosmetics. The ministry had required Bazan to submit a special work plan as a condition for continuing operations.

The incident began on Saturday, October 10th, when a monitoring station detected an abnormal benzene reading. Benzene, a byproduct of petroleum and a known carcinogen, was measured at over 12 micrograms per cubic meter, more than triple the daily average limit of 3.9 micrograms per cubic meter allowed by the ministry. While Bazan had exceeded the limit four times in the past year, this reading was significantly higher. The ministry, which handles such cases individually due to a lack of standardized procedures, initially took no action as readings returned to normal on Sunday morning. However, levels began to rise again later that day, prompting a joint announcement from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health to temporarily relocate students from the "Erezim" school and the Social School.

By Tuesday, students had returned to their regular classes as air quality improved. Nevertheless, Bazan was still prohibited from restarting its maintenance processes. Now, a week after the work stoppage, the ministry has approved the resumption of maintenance, contingent upon a new work plan designed to prevent future pollution. This plan includes monitoring operational parameters like pressure increases in tanks, tracking benzene concentrations near emission sources with defined thresholds for reducing or halting operations, and monitoring ambient benzene levels at environmental stations to enable early intervention and prevent daily exceedances.

Dorite Ziss, Director of the Haifa District at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, stated that the resumption of maintenance was approved after a professional review of Bazan's submitted documents and the establishment of strict environmental requirements, including control mechanisms and clear indicators for adjusting or stopping work. She added that the ministry will continue to closely monitor air quality data and Bazan's compliance with the order, while also exercising its inspection and enforcement powers. Alongside overseeing current industrial activities, the ministry is advancing plans with government partners to cease petrochemical operations in the Haifa Bay and develop an innovative, sustainable urban area under plan Tama 75, aiming to protect public health and the environment in the region.