Israel Land Authority Reports Contamination in Tel Aviv's Sde Dov Area
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
The Israel Land Authority informed the court that one of four tested private lots in Tel Aviv's Sde Dov district, lot 2210, showed contamination from PFAS chemicals. The contamination, likely from firefighting foam used at the former airport, exceeds safe levels for direct soil contact. Approximately 1,700 rights holders are awaiting lot allocation, which was postponed due to contamination concerns, with a new lottery date pending further test results.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- One of four tested private lots in Tel Aviv's Sde Dov district has contamination exceeding safe levels.
- PFAS chemicals, linked to health risks, were found in lot 2210, likely from firefighting foam.
- Approximately 1,700 rights holders are awaiting lot allocation in the affected area.
- The lottery for these lots was postponed due to concerns about the extent of contamination.
- A new lottery date is pending the completion of all soil sampling and test results.
The Israel Land Authority (ILA) has updated the Herzliya Magistrate's Court, revealing that contamination exceeding safe levels for direct soil contact was found in one of four private lots tested in Tel Aviv's Sde Dov district, specifically lot 2210. The other three tested lots showed no such anomalies. The ILA's update, filed following a court order, confirmed the completion of drilling across all private lots designated under plan TA/4444, with approvals from the Ministry of Environmental Protection. However, findings are only available for four lots so far, with results for the remaining lots expected within weeks, up to 30 days.
The detected contaminants are PFAS compounds, known as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment. Some PFAS have been linked to health risks, including immune system damage and increased cancer risk. The likely source of contamination in Sde Dov is the use of firefighting foams during the airport's decades-long operation. The ILA emphasized that even lots without detected anomalies may still require remediation, with final soil cleanup targets to be determined by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Approximately 1,700 rights holders are awaiting lot allocation in the Gush HaGadol area of Sde Dov. The lottery, initially scheduled for late June, was postponed due to concerns raised by some land administrators about clarifying the extent of contamination, remediation methods, and cost allocation. The suspicion of soil contamination arose after PFAS compounds were found in soil and groundwater during tests at the old airport site. In July, the Ministry of Environmental Protection reported findings indicating these contaminants in several residential lots. The concerns extend to the potential impact on land values, development costs, and construction timelines. Landowners and administrators are awaiting the completion of all sampling and results to set a new lottery date.