Environmental Ministry Halts Haifa Refinery Work Again Over Benzene Levels
Translated & summarized from TheMarker by baba
Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection has again halted maintenance work at the Gadiv factory in Haifa's Bazan refinery complex due to high benzene levels. This marks the second suspension this month, following a previous incident that led to school closures. Work will only resume after the factory investigates, addresses the leak, and guarantees preventative measures.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's Environmental Ministry stopped Haifa refinery maintenance due to benzene spikes.
- This is the second time this month work at the Bazan refinery complex was halted.
- Elevated benzene levels returned to normal after the work stoppage.
- The factory must submit a full investigation and corrective action plan.
- The maintenance is part of a routine, multi-million dollar refinery overhaul.
Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection announced Friday that it has again halted maintenance work at the Gadiv factory within the Haifa "Bazan" refinery complex due to elevated benzene levels. The ministry ordered the immediate cessation of work after monitoring revealed abnormal concentrations of benzene in the air, particularly at a monitoring station in Kiryat Ata. The factory had already reduced its maintenance activities earlier in the afternoon in response to initial readings, but the ministry escalated the order to a full stop as levels continued to rise. Benzene concentrations returned to normal levels after the work was stopped.
This is the second time this month that maintenance operations at Bazan have been suspended. The previous stoppage occurred a week after initial anomalies were detected, leading to the temporary closure of two local schools. The ministry stated that the current work will remain halted until the factory submits a full investigation report, identifies the source of the leak, implements corrective measures, and assures the ministry that recurrence will be prevented.
The ongoing maintenance is part of a routine overhaul of the refineries, typically conducted every three to five years. Bazan had previously reported this scheduled maintenance in its financial reports for the second quarter of 2026, estimating its cost at $80-100 million and noting it would involve facilities like the Gadiv complex, which serves the plastics and chemical industries. The ministry is now examining the situation to determine when and under what conditions the work can resume.
