Hadera Residents Endure Foul Odors From West Bank Waste Fires
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
Residents of Hadera and nearby communities are suffering from severe air pollution caused by waste fires and dumps in the West Bank, forcing them to keep their homes sealed due to foul odors. Despite years of complaints to local authorities and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, no effective solution has been implemented. The ministry has identified a waste transfer station in Tulkarm as a source and is developing a cross-border plan while funding efforts to combat illegal dumping.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hadera residents are suffering from severe air pollution and foul odors from West Bank waste fires.
- Residents report being unable to open their homes due to a mix of burnt, rotten egg, and plastic smells.
- Complaints to authorities over more than ten years have not resulted in effective solutions.
- The Ministry of Environmental Protection identified a Tulkarm waste transfer station as a primary source.
- The ministry is developing a cross-border plan and funding efforts against illegal waste dumping.
Residents of Hadera and communities near the seam line are suffering from severe air pollution, characterized by choking smoke and foul odors originating from fires and waste dumps in the West Bank. This ongoing environmental and health hazard significantly degrades their quality of life, prompting calls for a solution.
Yuval Kalish, a Hadera resident, described the daily suffering in an interview. "I'm currently with the air conditioning on, my house is closed, we have no option to open the house," she stated, detailing the smell as a "combination of burnt smell, rotten egg smell, and burnt plastic smell."
Kalish expressed frustration with the lack of action, noting that residents have been reporting the issue to the municipality and the Ministry of Environmental Protection for over ten years, with promises of treatment yielding no results. "We raise it to the municipality, to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, we call the hotline," she said, "They keep saying they're handling it, handling it, handling it, and nothing is being done."
The Ministry of Environmental Protection acknowledged the seriousness of waste fires, stating it is actively working to reduce them, though oversight of waste in the West Bank falls under the Civil Administration. Following complaints, ministry teams conducted monitoring and tests with local authorities, identifying a waste transfer station in Tulkarm as the source of the problem. The "Yanshuf" unit, a joint effort of the Nature and Parks Authority, ruled out other potential sources.
The ministry has developed a comprehensive cross-border plan to address these hazards, awaiting government approval. Concurrently, it is funding the Civil Administration's operations and the "David" unit, which combats illegal waste dumping. The ministry continues to monitor air quality and firefighting efforts, acting within its authority to protect public and environmental health.
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