Israel Environment Ministry Orders Tel Aviv to Halt Excavations at Contaminated Shde Dov Site

The Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection has issued a stern letter to Menachem Leiba, CEO of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, demanding an immediate stop to infrastructure excavation works at the Shde Dov development area. The ministry claims the ongoing works violate established guidelines following the discovery of potential contamination by PFAS compounds, known as "forever chemicals," posing risks to public health and the environment.

During an inspection, ministry officials found extensive digging in zones where soil sampling had not yet been conducted, alongside large piles of tens of thousands of tons of soil that were left unmarked, unsorted, and undocumented. The ministry also noted that soil from various sources had been mixed on-site, preventing proper sampling, and that soil suspected of contamination was allegedly spread as fill in public areas.

Soil investigations completed on nine plots within the plan revealed PFAS contamination in most cases, indicating a significant risk of pollutants throughout the entire development area. The ministry warned that uncontrolled excavation and removal of contaminated or suspected soil could endanger residents’ health and contaminate local water sources.

Consequently, the ministry demanded the municipality halt all infrastructure work that impedes necessary soil sampling and only resume after proper sampling and approvals are secured. They also proposed an urgent coordination meeting with Tel Aviv representatives. The municipality has not yet responded to the ministry’s demands.