Schools Reopen in Kiryat Ata After Unusual Pollution Incident

Authorities issued public health guidelines advising residents within a one-kilometer radius of the refinery complex to limit outdoor exposure, with particular emphasis on children and pregnant women. Workers in the adjacent industrial zone were instructed to keep windows closed and run air conditioning. Benzene, a known carcinogen, was detected at levels up to 3.3 times the permissible limit near one of the schools, reaching 12.9 micrograms per cubic meter according to Mignews.

The pollution spike, which began over the weekend of October 9 to 10, 2026, was linked to routine maintenance and repairs of war-related damage at the Bazan facility. In response, the Ministry of Environmental Protection ordered an immediate halt to these maintenance operations. The refinery must submit a detailed hazard prevention plan and investigate the emissions before it can resume this work. Environmental groups declared the situation a national emergency, and Kiryat Ata Mayor Yaakov Peretz demanded that the complex remain closed until air safety is fully guaranteed.