Haifa Factory Work Halted Amid Benzene Emission Concerns
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
Haifa's Mayor Yona Yahav's pressure led the Ministry of Environmental Protection to halt all work at the Gadiv factory due to repeated benzene emissions. This decision follows a recent October 22 incident where benzene levels exceeded daily standards. The Haifa Municipality has postponed a hearing for the Bazan Group factories and will renew temporary permits for 60 days under strict conditions, while emphasizing its enforcement powers.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav demanded decisive action following repeated benzene emissions.
- The Ministry of Environmental Protection ordered a complete halt to work at the Gadiv factory.
- A recent benzene emission on October 22 exceeded daily standards in Kiryat Bialik.
- Haifa Municipality postponed a hearing for Bazan Group factories by 30 days.
- Temporary permits for Bazan, Carmel Olefins, and Gadiv are renewed for 60 days under strict conditions.
Following repeated benzene emission incidents in the Haifa Bay area and a request from Mayor Yona Yahav to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the ministry has ordered a complete halt to maintenance and renovation work at the Gadiv factory. This suspension will remain in effect until the circumstances surrounding the emission events, including the latest one on October 22, are fully investigated.
The decision was prompted by Yahav's demand for tangible action against factories due to recurring benzene level exceedances and public health fears. In response to the halt at Gadiv, the Haifa Municipality agreed to a 30-day postponement of a hearing for the Bazan Group factories, which was initially scheduled for the current day, to allow for the completion of investigations.
Concurrently, temporary permits for Bazan, Carmel Olefins, and Gadiv will be renewed for only 60 days, subject to stringent conditions. These conditions require the completion of investigations and the submission of documents detailing work procedures and adherence to proper operational protocols.
The Haifa Municipality emphasized that the hearing will proceed and that it retains all its enforcement and licensing authority. This action follows a series of pollution incidents in Haifa Bay in recent weeks. On October 22, monitoring stations in Kiryat Bialik recorded benzene levels of 3.93 micrograms per cubic meter, exceeding the daily standard for the carcinogenic substance. This occurred shortly after the Ministry of Environmental Protection had permitted Gadiv to resume maintenance work under strict controls.
Previous benzene exceedances had led to school closures in Kiryat Ata and special advisories for residents. The Ministry of Environmental Protection issued an administrative order against Gadiv on October 14. According to the Haifa Bay Municipal Association for Environmental Protection, such a daily exceedance at the Kiryat Bialik monitoring station had not been recorded for several years.
Mayor Yahav had previously summoned the management of the Bazan Group for a hearing to discuss the potential non-renewal of business licenses for Bazan, Gadiv, and Carmel Olefins, and to consider steps to cease their operations. The municipality's summons cited repeated benzene emission violations between 2020 and 2024, breaches of emission permits, and deficiencies in hazardous material handling. The temporary operating permits for these factories were set to expire on October 31.
Mayor Yahav stated, "We will not allow the health of the residents of Haifa and the Bay to be endangered. I demanded that the Ministry of Environmental Protection act decisively, and I welcome the decision to halt work at the Gadiv factory. This is an important step, but not the end of the road. We will continue to stand guard, demand answers, and act with all the tools at our disposal. The residents' health comes before any other consideration."
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