Breathe in the sulfur dioxide Haaretz 19/2/2007
By Zafrir Rinat
The Finance Ministry this week continued to vigorously promote the privatization of the
Haifa-based Oil Refineries (Bazan). This process will inject hundreds of millions of dollars into
the state's coffers, based on the estimated value of the facility's stocks. But residents of the Haifa
Bay area, who have lived for years in the shadow of the smokestacks, are not interested in the
projected profits. They are mostly concerned with the impact the continued operation of the
largest polluter in the Bay will have on their health: In recent years, there have been reports of
particularly high rates of heart disease and cancer in the area, followed by new information on
the increasing severity of the air pollution over the last three decades.
Last week, the Guardians of the Bay Area, a Haifa-based environmental union, launched a
newspaper ad campaign demanding that stricter environmental standards be included in the
requirements for the Oil Refineries sale. According to surveys conducted by the environmental
union, the Oil Refineries currently emit pollutants at a rate three to four times higher than the
standard for refineries in countries like Holland and Belgium. The union is demanding that new
standards be implemented to bring about a 70-percent reduction in pollutants.
The Environmental Protection Ministry claims it has already set new, stricter pollution control
requirements for the Oil Refineries, as part of a personal directive that places direct responsibility
for the matter on plant managers. But according to the Guardians of the Bay Area, this, too, is
not enough.
"Meeting our demands, whose implementation would require applying the best available air
pollution prevention technologies, would yield an additional reduction of 1,100 tons in the
amount of sulfur dioxide emitted each year, and 1,100 tons in the amount of nitrous oxides,"
noted the union's deputy director general, Dr. Bernanda Felikstein, during a public hearing on
pollution in the Haifa Bay held at the Samuel Neeman Institute at the Technion - Israel Institute
of Technology, three weeks ago.
MK Moshe Kahalon, a Haifa resident and chairman of the Knesset Economics Committee,
which deals among other things with infrastructure facilities, seconds the demands of the
Guardians of the Bay Area. "Setting stricter standards would mean the addition of $30 million to
the amount the plant would have to allocate for this purpose, beyond the Environmental
Protection Ministry's requirements, and that is spread out over the course of 15 years," he said.
"This is a large amount for this type of facility. It should be noted that we are dealing with
human lives and saving on the cost of medical treatments resulting from the damages inflicted by
air pollution."
The demand to set stricter standards comes at a time when an improvement has been noted in
Haifa's air quality. Felikstein says Haifa's air quality, except for a few isolated incidents, met the
standards in 2005.
500 more cancer patients
Nevertheless, environmental and health experts in Haifa are convinced there is a need for an
additional reduction, primarily given the excess pollution already absorbed in the past by regional
residents and the worrisome figures on the incidence of cancer. Deputy director of the Haifa
district in the Health Ministry, Dr. Jonathan Dubnov, said at the hearing organized by the
Samuel Neeman Institute that according to the updated figures, the incidence of cancer in the
Haifa district was more than 20 percent higher than in other parts of the country. This
percentage translates to around 500 more cancer patients each year.
Dr. James Krikun is one of the most consistent and aggressive advocates of setting stricter
standards and imposing more requirements on industrial facilities. Krikun, together with Dr.
Stephen Garnett, founded the Coalition for Public Health in the Haifa area, whose members
include environmental activists and experts.
Krikun moved to Kiryat Motzkin some 10 years ago. "After I saw the smokestack of the plant
emitting pollutants, and I also smelled it, I decided to learn about the severity of the problem,"
he says. "I agree with Bernanda Felikstein that in recent years there has been an improvement,
but the situation is still catastrophic."
Krikun was at first perceived by the establishment as a pesky environmental activist who
exaggerated his description of the dangers and overlooked the accomplishments in this area. But
today his knowledge and assessments are being taken more seriously.
Some of recent findings about the impact of pollution in the Haifa Bay were presented two
months ago at a conference on the health and environmental impacts of aerosols (solid or liquid
particles that disperse into the air) at the Technion. Amir Zalel and Dr. David Broday, of the
Technion's department of environmental and civil engineering, presented a study on the
dispersion into the atmosphere of two substances, vinyl chloride and dichloroethane. The first is
known to be a carcinogen and the second is suspected as such. The source of these substances
was the Electrochemical Industries plant that operated south of Acre until 2003 and
manufactured PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
According to the researchers' assessments, which were based on measurements taken at some of
the plant's facilities in 2001, each year it emitted at least 100 tons of dichloroethane and 90 tons
of vinyl chloride. These quantities are much larger than those emitted by a facility of this type in
the United States. Kibbutz Ein Hamifratz and Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk absorbed, according to the
assessment, quantities of vinyl chloride that were three to five times higher than the
recommended standard in the U.S. for preventing an increased risk of cancer.
The amount of dichloroethane increased in 14 places in the Haifa Bay area by 10 times the
recommended standard in the U.S. "There are several gaps in the knowledge about the amount
of pollution and the way in which it disperses, but based on the data, there is a possibility that
these pollution levels increased the likelihood of a higher incidence of illness in certain places,"
said Broday.
Krikun has no doubt that all the toxic materials that have spread, and are still spreading, in the
Haifa Bay area are causing an increase in the incidence of disease and mortality. He worked
together with Dr. Ella Berlin of the Guardians of the Bay Area and Ella Naveh, of the University
of Haifa, to gather data on the amount of toxic metals that polluted the bay in the past. They
estimated that, each year, hundreds of thousands of kilograms of different types of metals were
emitted into the Haifa Bay. The source of the emissions was the petrochemical plants, the Oil
Refineries and the metal recycling facility operating in the Krayot vicinity (a metal recycling
plant operates at the same site). Vehicles also emit metals, but on a much smaller scale.
Among others, metals such as chrome 6, manganese, lead and cadmium were emitted. These are
metals that may cause cancer, damage the nervous system and DNA and affect the functioning
of internal organs. Krikun notes that, in recent years, the quantity of metals in the air has
declined, but that some industrial plants still emit substantial amounts.
Four months ago, a committee of experts completed their research on the health impact of air
pollution in Haifa; the committee met at Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra's
initiative. The committee's report stated it was still impossible at this stage to establish a causal
link between the higher incidence of disease in Haifa and pollution, but given what was known
about the severity of the pollution, vigorous steps should nonetheless be taken to reduce it.
The committee recommended, among other things, setting stricter emissions standards for
plants, increasing the number of emissions tests for motor vehicles, and speeding up the laying of
the natural gas pipeline to Haifa. Other recommendations included promoting the use of
gas-powered buses and requiring gasoline stations, each of which emits large amounts of
carcinogenic gasoline fumes into the air, to install devices to absorb the fumes.
Another central recommendation was to try and punish factory managers responsible for
deviating from the standards. According to the committee chairman, Prof. Yoram Avnimelech,
there is no reason why Israeli industry should not adopt a policy of "zero malfunctions" and
adhere to maintenance levels equal to the standard in European and U.S. industry. This week,
Avnimelech noted that the Environmental Protection Ministry had not bothered to address the
recommendations.
By Zafrir Rinat
The Finance Ministry this week continued to vigorously promote the privatization of the
Haifa-based Oil Refineries (Bazan). This process will inject hundreds of millions of dollars into
the state's coffers, based on the estimated value of the facility's stocks. But residents of the Haifa
Bay area, who have lived for years in the shadow of the smokestacks, are not interested in the
projected profits. They are mostly concerned with the impact the continued operation of the
largest polluter in the Bay will have on their health: In recent years, there have been reports of
particularly high rates of heart disease and cancer in the area, followed by new information on
the increasing severity of the air pollution over the last three decades.
Last week, the Guardians of the Bay Area, a Haifa-based environmental union, launched a
newspaper ad campaign demanding that stricter environmental standards be included in the
requirements for the Oil Refineries sale. According to surveys conducted by the environmental
union, the Oil Refineries currently emit pollutants at a rate three to four times higher than the
standard for refineries in countries like Holland and Belgium. The union is demanding that new
standards be implemented to bring about a 70-percent reduction in pollutants.
The Environmental Protection Ministry claims it has already set new, stricter pollution control
requirements for the Oil Refineries, as part of a personal directive that places direct responsibility
for the matter on plant managers. But according to the Guardians of the Bay Area, this, too, is
not enough.
"Meeting our demands, whose implementation would require applying the best available air
pollution prevention technologies, would yield an additional reduction of 1,100 tons in the
amount of sulfur dioxide emitted each year, and 1,100 tons in the amount of nitrous oxides,"
noted the union's deputy director general, Dr. Bernanda Felikstein, during a public hearing on
pollution in the Haifa Bay held at the Samuel Neeman Institute at the Technion - Israel Institute
of Technology, three weeks ago.
MK Moshe Kahalon, a Haifa resident and chairman of the Knesset Economics Committee,
which deals among other things with infrastructure facilities, seconds the demands of the
Guardians of the Bay Area. "Setting stricter standards would mean the addition of $30 million to
the amount the plant would have to allocate for this purpose, beyond the Environmental
Protection Ministry's requirements, and that is spread out over the course of 15 years," he said.
"This is a large amount for this type of facility. It should be noted that we are dealing with
human lives and saving on the cost of medical treatments resulting from the damages inflicted by
air pollution."
The demand to set stricter standards comes at a time when an improvement has been noted in
Haifa's air quality. Felikstein says Haifa's air quality, except for a few isolated incidents, met the
standards in 2005.
500 more cancer patients
Nevertheless, environmental and health experts in Haifa are convinced there is a need for an
additional reduction, primarily given the excess pollution already absorbed in the past by regional
residents and the worrisome figures on the incidence of cancer. Deputy director of the Haifa
district in the Health Ministry, Dr. Jonathan Dubnov, said at the hearing organized by the
Samuel Neeman Institute that according to the updated figures, the incidence of cancer in the
Haifa district was more than 20 percent higher than in other parts of the country. This
percentage translates to around 500 more cancer patients each year.
Dr. James Krikun is one of the most consistent and aggressive advocates of setting stricter
standards and imposing more requirements on industrial facilities. Krikun, together with Dr.
Stephen Garnett, founded the Coalition for Public Health in the Haifa area, whose members
include environmental activists and experts.
Krikun moved to Kiryat Motzkin some 10 years ago. "After I saw the smokestack of the plant
emitting pollutants, and I also smelled it, I decided to learn about the severity of the problem,"
he says. "I agree with Bernanda Felikstein that in recent years there has been an improvement,
but the situation is still catastrophic."
Krikun was at first perceived by the establishment as a pesky environmental activist who
exaggerated his description of the dangers and overlooked the accomplishments in this area. But
today his knowledge and assessments are being taken more seriously.
Some of recent findings about the impact of pollution in the Haifa Bay were presented two
months ago at a conference on the health and environmental impacts of aerosols (solid or liquid
particles that disperse into the air) at the Technion. Amir Zalel and Dr. David Broday, of the
Technion's department of environmental and civil engineering, presented a study on the
dispersion into the atmosphere of two substances, vinyl chloride and dichloroethane. The first is
known to be a carcinogen and the second is suspected as such. The source of these substances
was the Electrochemical Industries plant that operated south of Acre until 2003 and
manufactured PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
According to the researchers' assessments, which were based on measurements taken at some of
the plant's facilities in 2001, each year it emitted at least 100 tons of dichloroethane and 90 tons
of vinyl chloride. These quantities are much larger than those emitted by a facility of this type in
the United States. Kibbutz Ein Hamifratz and Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk absorbed, according to the
assessment, quantities of vinyl chloride that were three to five times higher than the
recommended standard in the U.S. for preventing an increased risk of cancer.
The amount of dichloroethane increased in 14 places in the Haifa Bay area by 10 times the
recommended standard in the U.S. "There are several gaps in the knowledge about the amount
of pollution and the way in which it disperses, but based on the data, there is a possibility that
these pollution levels increased the likelihood of a higher incidence of illness in certain places,"
said Broday.
Krikun has no doubt that all the toxic materials that have spread, and are still spreading, in the
Haifa Bay area are causing an increase in the incidence of disease and mortality. He worked
together with Dr. Ella Berlin of the Guardians of the Bay Area and Ella Naveh, of the University
of Haifa, to gather data on the amount of toxic metals that polluted the bay in the past. They
estimated that, each year, hundreds of thousands of kilograms of different types of metals were
emitted into the Haifa Bay. The source of the emissions was the petrochemical plants, the Oil
Refineries and the metal recycling facility operating in the Krayot vicinity (a metal recycling
plant operates at the same site). Vehicles also emit metals, but on a much smaller scale.
Among others, metals such as chrome 6, manganese, lead and cadmium were emitted. These are
metals that may cause cancer, damage the nervous system and DNA and affect the functioning
of internal organs. Krikun notes that, in recent years, the quantity of metals in the air has
declined, but that some industrial plants still emit substantial amounts.
Four months ago, a committee of experts completed their research on the health impact of air
pollution in Haifa; the committee met at Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra's
initiative. The committee's report stated it was still impossible at this stage to establish a causal
link between the higher incidence of disease in Haifa and pollution, but given what was known
about the severity of the pollution, vigorous steps should nonetheless be taken to reduce it.
The committee recommended, among other things, setting stricter emissions standards for
plants, increasing the number of emissions tests for motor vehicles, and speeding up the laying of
the natural gas pipeline to Haifa. Other recommendations included promoting the use of
gas-powered buses and requiring gasoline stations, each of which emits large amounts of
carcinogenic gasoline fumes into the air, to install devices to absorb the fumes.
Another central recommendation was to try and punish factory managers responsible for
deviating from the standards. According to the committee chairman, Prof. Yoram Avnimelech,
there is no reason why Israeli industry should not adopt a policy of "zero malfunctions" and
adhere to maintenance levels equal to the standard in European and U.S. industry. This week,
Avnimelech noted that the Environmental Protection Ministry had not bothered to address the
recommendations.
Haifa Pollution
Pollution is a "charged" subject, and Haifa, because of the
importance of the chemical heavy industries, has the label of a
polluted city although a lot of progress has been achieved in the
past years with a lot of efforts on the part of the green
associations. These progress are not sufficient and we must
demand more efforts on the part of public authorities for
passing new laws and for enforcing existing laws and
regulations
I bring a few examples of articles about the air, the sea and the
Kishon
bad news in grey
progress and good news in green
In spite of all this grey, and a lot has still to be done!, the
indexes of pollution are under the level permitted by the EPA
(US reglementation).
importance of the chemical heavy industries, has the label of a
polluted city although a lot of progress has been achieved in the
past years with a lot of efforts on the part of the green
associations. These progress are not sufficient and we must
demand more efforts on the part of public authorities for
passing new laws and for enforcing existing laws and
regulations
I bring a few examples of articles about the air, the sea and the
Kishon
bad news in grey
progress and good news in green
In spite of all this grey, and a lot has still to be done!, the
indexes of pollution are under the level permitted by the EPA
(US reglementation).
Excuse me, how do I get to the most polluted street? Haaretz 5/7/2007
By Zafrir Rinat
Local councils typically fear exposure of pollution and other hazards that threaten the quality of
life of their residents, but the Tamra Municipality, in the Western Galilee, decided to openly
address these problems. In collaboration with green and social justice organizations, Tamra
recently published the first map of its type, pinpointing the location of environmental hazards
around the city. The map illustrates the immediate need to treat sewage flowing in the streets,
garbage mounting beside homes and animal pens containing livestock in residential
neighborhoods. These sanitation problems all emit hazardous fumes and other forms of
pollution.
The findings will be published in conjunction with a project that maps environmental hazards
in Arab local councils. The initiative is a joint project of the Abraham Fund Initiatives, an
organization that promotes collaboration between Arabs and Jews, the Adam Teva V'Din -
Israel Union for Environmental Defense, and The Arab Center for Alternative Planning. The
project, which began in Tamra, is expected to expand to other communities.
"The goal is to change the mistaken perception that environmental hazards are part of the
culture of Arab communities and that they are fated to exist," explains Abraham Fund
Initiatives Director Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu.
Tamra is a characteristic example of cities that develop rapidly, without basic sanitary and
environmental infrastructure. Fifty years ago, only 4,000 people lived in what was then a
village. Now, almost 30,000 residents inhabit less than 3,000 dunams, in what is now the city of
Tamra.
Some of the city's waste is collected in pipes, but these pipes are not connected to a treatment
facility and thus raw sewage flows from the main pipe to a stream in the area. Animal pens
flank many of the homes in one neighborhood. Acting Mayor Ahmad Hijazi, responsible for
urban planning in the city, notes, "Residents live alongside thousands of sheep and 150 cows.
There is inadequate infrastructure to treat sewage and effluents produced in animal pens." The
mapping project relied on information provided by the municipality, tours of the city and
questionnaires, in which residents reported the location of hazards and expressed their opinion
on environmental issues and possible solutions.
Noise pollution
In addition to identifying the locations of animal pens, sewage leaks and waste disposal sites,
the project exposed Tamra's proximity to a quarry that generates noise and air pollution, and
deprives the city of vital open space. The map separates "pirate" hazards, like unapproved
animal pens and garbage dumps, from hazards derived from defective planning, like an
incinerator established next to the city.
The next phase of the project will include planning and legal measures to deal with the hazards.
"Our goal is not to 'catch' the municipality as part of central government, but to represent a
public that suffers from discriminatory urban planning and investment in infrastructure,"
explains Arab Center for Alternative Planning director Enaya Bana. Adam Teva V'Din attorney
Anat Moseinko adds, "Our goal is to work with the municipality to handle hazards and
persuade a variety of authorities to lend a hand."
Hijazi says some of the hazards, which now appear on the map, were not known to city
officials, and that the problem of the animal pens and raw sewage is already being tackled. The
municipality also finished developing a program that would allocate land outside residential
neighborhoods to animal pen owners who would transfer their operations to those sites. That
program is currently awaiting approval from planning authorities.
The Tamra Municipality plans to connect its sewage system to a waste treatment facility slated
to be built in Acre. City officials admit that residents currently employ illegal, independent
methods to connect to the main sewage system, but they say this is preferable to permitting raw
sewage to flow into the environment. Hijazi says that the municipality persuaded the quarry to
alter its activities to reduce its environmental impact.
Double exposure
"It is not easy for us to expose these hazards and expose ourselves to public criticism, but we
believe in transparency," Hijazi says. "The map helps us know where we stand and it helps us
apply pressure to ministries to obtain assistance."
Despite that, the establishment of parks and gardens in the city is still mired in problems that
derive from a lack of open space. The municipality cleaned up two empty lots that contained
trash and transformed them into small gardens. But Tamra still lacks space for a park or
garden that would suit the size of the city, and there is still not a single playground for children.
Tamra will be forced to request such space from government officials because most available
space is privately owned.
Gov't urged to clean up Jordan River Jerusalem Post 12/6/2007
By RON FRIEDMAN
Environmental activists are urging the government to rehabilitate the lower Jordan River after
the cultural landscape was declared an "Endangered Cultural Heritage Site" by the leading
international body for the protection of monuments.
According to Friends of Earth-Middle East (FoEME), a regional environmental organization of
Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians, "90 percent of the Jordan River's natural water flow has
been diverted by Israel, Jordan and Syria for domestic and agricultural use, with sewage
flowing in its place. The region's current policies treat the river as a backyard dumping ground,
resulting in its ecological devastation."
The lower Jordan River is arguably the most famous river in the world, with heritage values to
half of humanity. Today, however, the beauty and cultural heritage values of the lower Jordan
River have been severely compromised, FoEME said.
The World Monuments Fund declared it an endangered site at a press conference in New York
last Wednesday.
Announced every two years, the World Monuments Fund's watch list acts as a call to action,
drawing international public attention to threatened cultural heritage sites across the globe. The
list of 100 declared sites shows that human activity has become the greatest threat to world
cultural heritage.
"The Watch List of the World Monuments Fund is now sounding the alarm bell loud and clear
to all those who care about the Jordan River," said Mira Edelstein, FoEME's Tel Aviv
campaigner for the rehabilitation of the Jordan River. "There is a law in Israel that states that
nature is a legitimate user of water. We should look at our water management and see what we
can do for the Jordan River."
Edelstein suggests that instead of handing out subsidies to farmers who grow water intensive
crops, the government should be conserving the water and encouraging the region's tourism
potential.
Government water and sewage authority spokesperson Uri Schor said the government shared
concerns for the southern Jordan River.
"However, we have to take into account the current water crisis in Israel and the region," he
said. "We are on the heels of a two-year drought and we don't know what next year will be like.
The whole world is drying up because of global warming and that, too, has to be taken into
account."
Schor said that any solutions would have to be dealt with on the highest levels as part of a
regional agreement between Israel and its neighbors.
With the inclusion of the Jordan River on the World Monuments Fund's 100 Most Endangered
Sites, Edelstein said FoEME is hopeful that the international attention brought to bear will
foster both the political will and cooperation needed to rehabilitate the river valley and remove it
from the endangered list as soon as possible.
120,000 Shekel Fine to Haifa for Marine Pollution
Updated: 04/19/2007
Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection
The Haifa Magistrates Court imposed a 120,000 fine on the Haifa Municipality for offenses
under the Water Law and for marine pollution offenses.
In 2000, the sewage pipeline located within the jurisdiction of the municipality which connects
Shemen Industries Ltd. to the municipal sewage system in the Shemen industrial zone
collapsed. As a result, on different occasions during the year, oil and wastewater were
discharged to municipal drainage canals and from there to the sea on the Shemen beach. The
municipality and principal office holders were indicted for offenses under the Water Law 1959,
Prevention of Sea Pollution from Land-Based Sources, 1988 and the Maintenance of
Cleanliness Law 1984.
In a plea bargain agreement dated March 6, 2007, the municipality admitted to contravening
the provisions of the Water Law and Prevention of Sea Pollution by Land Based Sources Law
and the office holders were not charged with the offenses. The municipality was fined 120,000
shekels and signed a 250,000 shekel financial undertaking to refrain from committing similar
offenses for a period of three years.
In his sentence, the judge related to the issue of fining a public entity such as a municipality
and noted: "A public entity that commits an environmental offense is guilty of abrogating its
obligations two times: once when it does not utilize its powers to prevent pollution events in due
time when there is a risk that they may occur;...and once more when the entity itself becomes
an environmental offender when the pollution takes place in practice."
By Zafrir Rinat
Local councils typically fear exposure of pollution and other hazards that threaten the quality of
life of their residents, but the Tamra Municipality, in the Western Galilee, decided to openly
address these problems. In collaboration with green and social justice organizations, Tamra
recently published the first map of its type, pinpointing the location of environmental hazards
around the city. The map illustrates the immediate need to treat sewage flowing in the streets,
garbage mounting beside homes and animal pens containing livestock in residential
neighborhoods. These sanitation problems all emit hazardous fumes and other forms of
pollution.
The findings will be published in conjunction with a project that maps environmental hazards
in Arab local councils. The initiative is a joint project of the Abraham Fund Initiatives, an
organization that promotes collaboration between Arabs and Jews, the Adam Teva V'Din -
Israel Union for Environmental Defense, and The Arab Center for Alternative Planning. The
project, which began in Tamra, is expected to expand to other communities.
"The goal is to change the mistaken perception that environmental hazards are part of the
culture of Arab communities and that they are fated to exist," explains Abraham Fund
Initiatives Director Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu.
Tamra is a characteristic example of cities that develop rapidly, without basic sanitary and
environmental infrastructure. Fifty years ago, only 4,000 people lived in what was then a
village. Now, almost 30,000 residents inhabit less than 3,000 dunams, in what is now the city of
Tamra.
Some of the city's waste is collected in pipes, but these pipes are not connected to a treatment
facility and thus raw sewage flows from the main pipe to a stream in the area. Animal pens
flank many of the homes in one neighborhood. Acting Mayor Ahmad Hijazi, responsible for
urban planning in the city, notes, "Residents live alongside thousands of sheep and 150 cows.
There is inadequate infrastructure to treat sewage and effluents produced in animal pens." The
mapping project relied on information provided by the municipality, tours of the city and
questionnaires, in which residents reported the location of hazards and expressed their opinion
on environmental issues and possible solutions.
Noise pollution
In addition to identifying the locations of animal pens, sewage leaks and waste disposal sites,
the project exposed Tamra's proximity to a quarry that generates noise and air pollution, and
deprives the city of vital open space. The map separates "pirate" hazards, like unapproved
animal pens and garbage dumps, from hazards derived from defective planning, like an
incinerator established next to the city.
The next phase of the project will include planning and legal measures to deal with the hazards.
"Our goal is not to 'catch' the municipality as part of central government, but to represent a
public that suffers from discriminatory urban planning and investment in infrastructure,"
explains Arab Center for Alternative Planning director Enaya Bana. Adam Teva V'Din attorney
Anat Moseinko adds, "Our goal is to work with the municipality to handle hazards and
persuade a variety of authorities to lend a hand."
Hijazi says some of the hazards, which now appear on the map, were not known to city
officials, and that the problem of the animal pens and raw sewage is already being tackled. The
municipality also finished developing a program that would allocate land outside residential
neighborhoods to animal pen owners who would transfer their operations to those sites. That
program is currently awaiting approval from planning authorities.
The Tamra Municipality plans to connect its sewage system to a waste treatment facility slated
to be built in Acre. City officials admit that residents currently employ illegal, independent
methods to connect to the main sewage system, but they say this is preferable to permitting raw
sewage to flow into the environment. Hijazi says that the municipality persuaded the quarry to
alter its activities to reduce its environmental impact.
Double exposure
"It is not easy for us to expose these hazards and expose ourselves to public criticism, but we
believe in transparency," Hijazi says. "The map helps us know where we stand and it helps us
apply pressure to ministries to obtain assistance."
Despite that, the establishment of parks and gardens in the city is still mired in problems that
derive from a lack of open space. The municipality cleaned up two empty lots that contained
trash and transformed them into small gardens. But Tamra still lacks space for a park or
garden that would suit the size of the city, and there is still not a single playground for children.
Tamra will be forced to request such space from government officials because most available
space is privately owned.
Gov't urged to clean up Jordan River Jerusalem Post 12/6/2007
By RON FRIEDMAN
Environmental activists are urging the government to rehabilitate the lower Jordan River after
the cultural landscape was declared an "Endangered Cultural Heritage Site" by the leading
international body for the protection of monuments.
According to Friends of Earth-Middle East (FoEME), a regional environmental organization of
Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians, "90 percent of the Jordan River's natural water flow has
been diverted by Israel, Jordan and Syria for domestic and agricultural use, with sewage
flowing in its place. The region's current policies treat the river as a backyard dumping ground,
resulting in its ecological devastation."
The lower Jordan River is arguably the most famous river in the world, with heritage values to
half of humanity. Today, however, the beauty and cultural heritage values of the lower Jordan
River have been severely compromised, FoEME said.
The World Monuments Fund declared it an endangered site at a press conference in New York
last Wednesday.
Announced every two years, the World Monuments Fund's watch list acts as a call to action,
drawing international public attention to threatened cultural heritage sites across the globe. The
list of 100 declared sites shows that human activity has become the greatest threat to world
cultural heritage.
"The Watch List of the World Monuments Fund is now sounding the alarm bell loud and clear
to all those who care about the Jordan River," said Mira Edelstein, FoEME's Tel Aviv
campaigner for the rehabilitation of the Jordan River. "There is a law in Israel that states that
nature is a legitimate user of water. We should look at our water management and see what we
can do for the Jordan River."
Edelstein suggests that instead of handing out subsidies to farmers who grow water intensive
crops, the government should be conserving the water and encouraging the region's tourism
potential.
Government water and sewage authority spokesperson Uri Schor said the government shared
concerns for the southern Jordan River.
"However, we have to take into account the current water crisis in Israel and the region," he
said. "We are on the heels of a two-year drought and we don't know what next year will be like.
The whole world is drying up because of global warming and that, too, has to be taken into
account."
Schor said that any solutions would have to be dealt with on the highest levels as part of a
regional agreement between Israel and its neighbors.
With the inclusion of the Jordan River on the World Monuments Fund's 100 Most Endangered
Sites, Edelstein said FoEME is hopeful that the international attention brought to bear will
foster both the political will and cooperation needed to rehabilitate the river valley and remove it
from the endangered list as soon as possible.
120,000 Shekel Fine to Haifa for Marine Pollution
Updated: 04/19/2007
Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection
The Haifa Magistrates Court imposed a 120,000 fine on the Haifa Municipality for offenses
under the Water Law and for marine pollution offenses.
In 2000, the sewage pipeline located within the jurisdiction of the municipality which connects
Shemen Industries Ltd. to the municipal sewage system in the Shemen industrial zone
collapsed. As a result, on different occasions during the year, oil and wastewater were
discharged to municipal drainage canals and from there to the sea on the Shemen beach. The
municipality and principal office holders were indicted for offenses under the Water Law 1959,
Prevention of Sea Pollution from Land-Based Sources, 1988 and the Maintenance of
Cleanliness Law 1984.
In a plea bargain agreement dated March 6, 2007, the municipality admitted to contravening
the provisions of the Water Law and Prevention of Sea Pollution by Land Based Sources Law
and the office holders were not charged with the offenses. The municipality was fined 120,000
shekels and signed a 250,000 shekel financial undertaking to refrain from committing similar
offenses for a period of three years.
In his sentence, the judge related to the issue of fining a public entity such as a municipality
and noted: "A public entity that commits an environmental offense is guilty of abrogating its
obligations two times: once when it does not utilize its powers to prevent pollution events in due
time when there is a risk that they may occur;...and once more when the entity itself becomes
an environmental offender when the pollution takes place in practice."
Gov't urged to clean up Jordan River Jerusalem Post 12/6/2007
By RON FRIEDMAN
Environmental activists are urging the government to rehabilitate the lower Jordan River after
the cultural landscape was declared an "Endangered Cultural Heritage Site" by the leading
international body for the protection of monuments.
According to Friends of Earth-Middle East (FoEME), a regional environmental organization
of Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians, "90 percent of the Jordan River's natural water flow
has been diverted by Israel, Jordan and Syria for domestic and agricultural use, with sewage
flowing in its place. The region's current policies treat the river as a backyard dumping
ground, resulting in its ecological devastation."
The lower Jordan River is arguably the most famous river in the world, with heritage values to
half of humanity. Today, however, the beauty and cultural heritage values of the lower Jordan
River have been severely compromised, FoEME said.
The World Monuments Fund declared it an endangered site at a press conference in New York
last Wednesday.
Announced every two years, the World Monuments Fund's watch list acts as a call to action,
drawing international public attention to threatened cultural heritage sites across the globe.
The list of 100 declared sites shows that human activity has become the greatest threat to world
cultural heritage.
"The Watch List of the World Monuments Fund is now sounding the alarm bell loud and clear
to all those who care about the Jordan River," said Mira Edelstein, FoEME's Tel Aviv
campaigner for the rehabilitation of the Jordan River. "There is a law in Israel that states that
nature is a legitimate user of water. We should look at our water management and see what
we can do for the Jordan River."
Edelstein suggests that instead of handing out subsidies to farmers who grow water intensive
crops, the government should be conserving the water and encouraging the region's tourism
potential.
Government water and sewage authority spokesperson Uri Schor said the government shared
concerns for the southern Jordan River.
"However, we have to take into account the current water crisis in Israel and the region," he
said. "We are on the heels of a two-year drought and we don't know what next year will be
like. The whole world is drying up because of global warming and that, too, has to be taken
into account."
Schor said that any solutions would have to be dealt with on the highest levels as part of a
regional agreement between Israel and its neighbors.
With the inclusion of the Jordan River on the World Monuments Fund's 100 Most Endangered
Sites, Edelstein said FoEME is hopeful that the international attention brought to bear will
foster both the political will and cooperation needed to rehabilitate the river valley and remove
it from the endangered list as soon as possible.
By RON FRIEDMAN
Environmental activists are urging the government to rehabilitate the lower Jordan River after
the cultural landscape was declared an "Endangered Cultural Heritage Site" by the leading
international body for the protection of monuments.
According to Friends of Earth-Middle East (FoEME), a regional environmental organization
of Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians, "90 percent of the Jordan River's natural water flow
has been diverted by Israel, Jordan and Syria for domestic and agricultural use, with sewage
flowing in its place. The region's current policies treat the river as a backyard dumping
ground, resulting in its ecological devastation."
The lower Jordan River is arguably the most famous river in the world, with heritage values to
half of humanity. Today, however, the beauty and cultural heritage values of the lower Jordan
River have been severely compromised, FoEME said.
The World Monuments Fund declared it an endangered site at a press conference in New York
last Wednesday.
Announced every two years, the World Monuments Fund's watch list acts as a call to action,
drawing international public attention to threatened cultural heritage sites across the globe.
The list of 100 declared sites shows that human activity has become the greatest threat to world
cultural heritage.
"The Watch List of the World Monuments Fund is now sounding the alarm bell loud and clear
to all those who care about the Jordan River," said Mira Edelstein, FoEME's Tel Aviv
campaigner for the rehabilitation of the Jordan River. "There is a law in Israel that states that
nature is a legitimate user of water. We should look at our water management and see what
we can do for the Jordan River."
Edelstein suggests that instead of handing out subsidies to farmers who grow water intensive
crops, the government should be conserving the water and encouraging the region's tourism
potential.
Government water and sewage authority spokesperson Uri Schor said the government shared
concerns for the southern Jordan River.
"However, we have to take into account the current water crisis in Israel and the region," he
said. "We are on the heels of a two-year drought and we don't know what next year will be
like. The whole world is drying up because of global warming and that, too, has to be taken
into account."
Schor said that any solutions would have to be dealt with on the highest levels as part of a
regional agreement between Israel and its neighbors.
With the inclusion of the Jordan River on the World Monuments Fund's 100 Most Endangered
Sites, Edelstein said FoEME is hopeful that the international attention brought to bear will
foster both the political will and cooperation needed to rehabilitate the river valley and remove
it from the endangered list as soon as possible.
120,000 Shekel Fine to Haifa for Marine Pollution
Updated: 04/19/2007
Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection
The Haifa Magistrates Court imposed a 120,000 fine on the Haifa Municipality for offenses
under the Water Law and for marine pollution offenses.
In 2000, the sewage pipeline located within the jurisdiction of the municipality which connects
Shemen Industries Ltd. to the municipal sewage system in the Shemen industrial zone collapsed.
As a result, on different occasions during the year, oil and wastewater were discharged to
municipal drainage canals and from there to the sea on the Shemen beach. The municipality
and principal office holders were indicted for offenses under the Water Law 1959, Prevention of
Sea Pollution from Land-Based Sources, 1988 and the Maintenance of Cleanliness Law 1984.
In a plea bargain agreement dated March 6, 2007, the municipality admitted to contravening the
provisions of the Water Law and Prevention of Sea Pollution by Land Based Sources Law and
the office holders were not charged with the offenses. The municipality was fined 120,000
shekels and signed a 250,000 shekel financial undertaking to refrain from committing similar
offenses for a period of three years.
In his sentence, the judge related to the issue of fining a public entity such as a municipality and
noted: "A public entity that commits an environmental offense is guilty of abrogating its
obligations two times: once when it does not utilize its powers to prevent pollution events in due
time when there is a risk that they may occur;...and once more when the entity itself becomes an
environmental offender when the pollution takes place in practice."
Updated: 04/19/2007
Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection
The Haifa Magistrates Court imposed a 120,000 fine on the Haifa Municipality for offenses
under the Water Law and for marine pollution offenses.
In 2000, the sewage pipeline located within the jurisdiction of the municipality which connects
Shemen Industries Ltd. to the municipal sewage system in the Shemen industrial zone collapsed.
As a result, on different occasions during the year, oil and wastewater were discharged to
municipal drainage canals and from there to the sea on the Shemen beach. The municipality
and principal office holders were indicted for offenses under the Water Law 1959, Prevention of
Sea Pollution from Land-Based Sources, 1988 and the Maintenance of Cleanliness Law 1984.
In a plea bargain agreement dated March 6, 2007, the municipality admitted to contravening the
provisions of the Water Law and Prevention of Sea Pollution by Land Based Sources Law and
the office holders were not charged with the offenses. The municipality was fined 120,000
shekels and signed a 250,000 shekel financial undertaking to refrain from committing similar
offenses for a period of three years.
In his sentence, the judge related to the issue of fining a public entity such as a municipality and
noted: "A public entity that commits an environmental offense is guilty of abrogating its
obligations two times: once when it does not utilize its powers to prevent pollution events in due
time when there is a risk that they may occur;...and once more when the entity itself becomes an
environmental offender when the pollution takes place in practice."
River in rehab: Rare plants back on Kishon banks Haaretz 25/5/2007
By Fadi Eyadat
Friends of botanist Yoav Gertman call him "the clover finder." During a hike on one of the
interim days of Passover 1998, he found a group of 3,000 narrowleaf crimson clover (Trifolium
angustifolium), after other botanists thought it had disappeared from Israel. After this group
was destroyed by the paving of a road, he found another group in the lower Kishon Stream, now
undergoing rehabilitation. This is the only place in Israel they can be found.
The rare clover was discovered during an ecological survey the Kishon Stream Authority
conducted two weeks ago, along with other rare species, such as catchfly and Lobularia arabica.
Gertman, the chief botanist of the Yagur nurseries and a senior observer for Rotem, the Israel
Plant Information Center, says the narrowleaf crimson clover is particularly rare although the
Carmel area is considered its cradle, along with wheat and legumes. According to Gertman the
clover, an annual that blooms March and April, "penetrates damaged and saline areas where
there is no strong vegetation," but disappears due to competition with other plants. Gertman
said he was so surprised to find it that he sent samples to three other major botanists who said
they, too, thought it was extinct. That year, the narrowleaf crimson clover was crowned "the
botanical find of the year."
However, the plant's rare status did not keep the Israel National Roads Company from paving a
road to a new neighborhood in the Carmel town of Nesher soon after the clover was found,
destroying it. "For this find alone the Kishon should be protected and restored," Gertman says.
"Today this clover is found nowhere else in the country. I understand there are already plans to
turn this into a back area of the Haifa Port. We have to fight to save it." Gertman said some of
the clover sent to the Hebrew University will serve as a breeding nucleus.
Another rare plant found only in the Kishon is Cardopatium corymbosum.
By Fadi Eyadat
Friends of botanist Yoav Gertman call him "the clover finder." During a hike on one of the
interim days of Passover 1998, he found a group of 3,000 narrowleaf crimson clover (Trifolium
angustifolium), after other botanists thought it had disappeared from Israel. After this group
was destroyed by the paving of a road, he found another group in the lower Kishon Stream, now
undergoing rehabilitation. This is the only place in Israel they can be found.
The rare clover was discovered during an ecological survey the Kishon Stream Authority
conducted two weeks ago, along with other rare species, such as catchfly and Lobularia arabica.
Gertman, the chief botanist of the Yagur nurseries and a senior observer for Rotem, the Israel
Plant Information Center, says the narrowleaf crimson clover is particularly rare although the
Carmel area is considered its cradle, along with wheat and legumes. According to Gertman the
clover, an annual that blooms March and April, "penetrates damaged and saline areas where
there is no strong vegetation," but disappears due to competition with other plants. Gertman
said he was so surprised to find it that he sent samples to three other major botanists who said
they, too, thought it was extinct. That year, the narrowleaf crimson clover was crowned "the
botanical find of the year."
However, the plant's rare status did not keep the Israel National Roads Company from paving a
road to a new neighborhood in the Carmel town of Nesher soon after the clover was found,
destroying it. "For this find alone the Kishon should be protected and restored," Gertman says.
"Today this clover is found nowhere else in the country. I understand there are already plans to
turn this into a back area of the Haifa Port. We have to fight to save it." Gertman said some of
the clover sent to the Hebrew University will serve as a breeding nucleus.
Another rare plant found only in the Kishon is Cardopatium corymbosum.
Study: 'Green' education at schools is in poor shape
By Zafrir Rinat Haaretz 16/7/2007
A few weeks ago, several school principals gathered excitedly at the Environment Ministry to
receive their "green accreditation," certifying that their schools are committed to educating
their pupils to protect the environment. To win accreditation, a school must devote at least 30
hours to environmental studies, make intelligent use of resources including water and energy,
and operate a program involving community-oriented activity. Green accreditation has been
awarded so far to 90 schools and 25 kindergartens. But while the phenomenon is growing, a
new study claims that the levels of pupils' knowledge and commitment to the environment are
still in desperate need of improvement.
The findings, by Maya Negev and Gonen Sagi, researchers at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of
the Negev and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, will be reported on tomorrow at
the Knesset, during an environmental-awareness day being held there.
In their study, entitled "Environmental Literacy in the Israeli School System," Negev and Sagi
examined the knowledge, positions and conduct of 7,635 pupils in grades 6 through 12 at 182
schools.
"The study indicates an enormous gap between the declarations about the purpose and extent
of environmental education, and its implementation," says Prof. Alon Tal of BGU, one of the
people behind the study. "Anyone who thinks that environmental education is in good shape
needs a reality check."
According to Tal, there are substantial gaps in knowledge among pupils concerning various
environmental subjects, and they are not familiar with the most basic issues. The report's
conclusions state that most local pupils have not been exposed to the subjects in question in a
productive way. There are hardly any up-to-date materials on ecological issues, and curricula
rarely include a practical component like helping to improve the environment in the school
vicinity. In questionnaires distributed to the pupils, many answered only half or fewer of the
questions correctly.
The most significant finding, in Tal's view, is the difference between knowledge and
commitment to environmentally helpful behavior. "For example, we found that at Arab
schools that scored low on environmental knowledge, environmental behavior got the highest
score. There were schools in economically strong areas where the level of knowledge was
high, but commitment was low."
The study suggests considering additional avenues for changing pupils' behavior, including via
the family and local authorities.
The researchers claim that even at schools taking part in special programs sponsored by the
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and the Environment Ministry, only some of the
showed higher levels of environmental literacy and committed behavior, in comparison to
other schools.
Tal says that the Education Ministry is aware that instilling knowledge of environmental
issues is not enough, and it is planning to introduce new initiatives through which schools will
adopt sites for preservation and improvement.
By Zafrir Rinat Haaretz 16/7/2007
A few weeks ago, several school principals gathered excitedly at the Environment Ministry to
receive their "green accreditation," certifying that their schools are committed to educating
their pupils to protect the environment. To win accreditation, a school must devote at least 30
hours to environmental studies, make intelligent use of resources including water and energy,
and operate a program involving community-oriented activity. Green accreditation has been
awarded so far to 90 schools and 25 kindergartens. But while the phenomenon is growing, a
new study claims that the levels of pupils' knowledge and commitment to the environment are
still in desperate need of improvement.
The findings, by Maya Negev and Gonen Sagi, researchers at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of
the Negev and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, will be reported on tomorrow at
the Knesset, during an environmental-awareness day being held there.
In their study, entitled "Environmental Literacy in the Israeli School System," Negev and Sagi
examined the knowledge, positions and conduct of 7,635 pupils in grades 6 through 12 at 182
schools.
"The study indicates an enormous gap between the declarations about the purpose and extent
of environmental education, and its implementation," says Prof. Alon Tal of BGU, one of the
people behind the study. "Anyone who thinks that environmental education is in good shape
needs a reality check."
According to Tal, there are substantial gaps in knowledge among pupils concerning various
environmental subjects, and they are not familiar with the most basic issues. The report's
conclusions state that most local pupils have not been exposed to the subjects in question in a
productive way. There are hardly any up-to-date materials on ecological issues, and curricula
rarely include a practical component like helping to improve the environment in the school
vicinity. In questionnaires distributed to the pupils, many answered only half or fewer of the
questions correctly.
The most significant finding, in Tal's view, is the difference between knowledge and
commitment to environmentally helpful behavior. "For example, we found that at Arab
schools that scored low on environmental knowledge, environmental behavior got the highest
score. There were schools in economically strong areas where the level of knowledge was
high, but commitment was low."
The study suggests considering additional avenues for changing pupils' behavior, including via
the family and local authorities.
The researchers claim that even at schools taking part in special programs sponsored by the
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and the Environment Ministry, only some of the
showed higher levels of environmental literacy and committed behavior, in comparison to
other schools.
Tal says that the Education Ministry is aware that instilling knowledge of environmental
issues is not enough, and it is planning to introduce new initiatives through which schools will
adopt sites for preservation and improvement.
2006 report: 46% of factories exceed pollution standards
By Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent , 28/05/2007
The Environment Ministry published on Sunday its annual report which revealed that 46
percent of factories tested in 2006 exceeded air pollution standards.
The figure represents a 20 percent decrease from the previous year.
2006 was the sixth year during which spot checks have been carried out on factories in Israel,
as part of an Environment Ministry initiative to enforce environmental regulations. The
ministry attributed 2006's drop in pollution to the spot checks.
Excess emissions were discovered in 22 of 48 factories over 334 spot checks carried out in
Israel's northern industrial areas. The emissions included known carcinogens as well as
substances damaging to the kidneys, heart and liver, respiratory and nervous systems, and
substances that can cause eye and throat irritations.
According to the report, several chemical plants exceeded acceptable carcinogen levels by up to
3000 percent. Many facilities also surpassed permissible levels of poisonous dioxin, methanol
and pollutant particles known to penetrate and seriously damage the respiratory system.
The Israel Union for Environmental Defense (Adam Teva V'Din) said the report illustrates the
urgency of passing the Clean Air Law, which gives measurable targets and schedules for
reducing pollution in Israel.
The legislation is currently awaiting second and third readings by the Knesset's Environment
and Interior Committee. Chairman of the committee, MK Dov Khenin has vowed to increase
pressure on lawmakers to authorize it.
Environment Minister Gideon Ezra said he will continue to take steps to force factories to
abide by air pollution regulations, including closing down factories that will not take steps to
reduce excess emissions.
By Tzafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent , 28/05/2007
The Environment Ministry published on Sunday its annual report which revealed that 46
percent of factories tested in 2006 exceeded air pollution standards.
The figure represents a 20 percent decrease from the previous year.
2006 was the sixth year during which spot checks have been carried out on factories in Israel,
as part of an Environment Ministry initiative to enforce environmental regulations. The
ministry attributed 2006's drop in pollution to the spot checks.
Excess emissions were discovered in 22 of 48 factories over 334 spot checks carried out in
Israel's northern industrial areas. The emissions included known carcinogens as well as
substances damaging to the kidneys, heart and liver, respiratory and nervous systems, and
substances that can cause eye and throat irritations.
According to the report, several chemical plants exceeded acceptable carcinogen levels by up to
3000 percent. Many facilities also surpassed permissible levels of poisonous dioxin, methanol
and pollutant particles known to penetrate and seriously damage the respiratory system.
The Israel Union for Environmental Defense (Adam Teva V'Din) said the report illustrates the
urgency of passing the Clean Air Law, which gives measurable targets and schedules for
reducing pollution in Israel.
The legislation is currently awaiting second and third readings by the Knesset's Environment
and Interior Committee. Chairman of the committee, MK Dov Khenin has vowed to increase
pressure on lawmakers to authorize it.
Environment Minister Gideon Ezra said he will continue to take steps to force factories to
abide by air pollution regulations, including closing down factories that will not take steps to
reduce excess emissions.
Etude de la distribution des polluants de l'air dans la baie de Haifa
05/24/2007
Le Ministere de la Protection de l'Environnement a alloue un million de shekels a l'etude le
la qualite de l'air dans la baie de Haifa. Ce projet qui doit commencer le 10 Juin 2007
mesurera les polluants qui ne sont pas mesures habituellement dans les stations de
surveillance, tels que les dioxines, des furannes, des composes organiques volatiles, des
polyaromatiques, les particules, des metaux lourds, l'ammoniaque, des mercaptans et
l'hydrogene sulfureux emis par les industries et les moyens de transport . Quatre series de
mesures sont prevues: ete et automne 2007, hiver et printemps 2008. Mr Robert Reuven
directeur du Ministere de la Protection de l'environnement pour la region de Haifa a
annonce que les echatillons seront preleves a 20 endroits differents proches des installations
industrielles et dans les quartiers residentiels
Le projet vise a donner une idee des conditions de qualite de l'air et de la localisation des
endroits les plus pollues. Le projet sera continue si les resultats preliminaires s'averent
interessants et si un budget peut etre accorde par la suite
05/24/2007
Le Ministere de la Protection de l'Environnement a alloue un million de shekels a l'etude le
la qualite de l'air dans la baie de Haifa. Ce projet qui doit commencer le 10 Juin 2007
mesurera les polluants qui ne sont pas mesures habituellement dans les stations de
surveillance, tels que les dioxines, des furannes, des composes organiques volatiles, des
polyaromatiques, les particules, des metaux lourds, l'ammoniaque, des mercaptans et
l'hydrogene sulfureux emis par les industries et les moyens de transport . Quatre series de
mesures sont prevues: ete et automne 2007, hiver et printemps 2008. Mr Robert Reuven
directeur du Ministere de la Protection de l'environnement pour la region de Haifa a
annonce que les echatillons seront preleves a 20 endroits differents proches des installations
industrielles et dans les quartiers residentiels
Le projet vise a donner une idee des conditions de qualite de l'air et de la localisation des
endroits les plus pollues. Le projet sera continue si les resultats preliminaires s'averent
interessants et si un budget peut etre accorde par la suite
Haaretz 26/12/2007
Haifa, Israel n'est pas la ville la plus polluee d'Israel
Par Fadi Eyadat
La qualite de l'air dans la region de la baie de Haifa est
meilleure qu'elle ne l'est dans la region de Dan, a Jerusalem et
a Ashdod, Haifa, d'apres une association de sauvegarde
del'environnement a Haifa
De plus, la principale source de pollution en Israel est les
vehicules, qui sont responsables des emissions de protoxyde
d'azote et de particules, d'apres les donnees des Gardiens de la
Region de la Baie et du Ministere de la protection de
l'environnement.
Tant en 2005 et 2006, les ecarts par rapport aux normes de
qualite de l'air ont ete observees a Jerusalem et dans la region
de Dan trois a quatre fois plus que dans le secteur de la baie de
Haifa.
Pendant des annees, Haifa a ete consideree comme une ville
polluee en raison de sa proximite avec les raffineries de petrole
et les usines petrochimiques situees dans la baie. Mais les
donnees des Gardiens de la Baie de Haifa indiquent que la
qualite de l'air est meilleure que dans les autres grandes villes
israeliennes. La principale raison en est l'augmentation du
nombre de voitures - une source principale de pollution de l'air
ג€“ dansles autres regions. Dans la zone de Haifa, il y a
actuellement environ 200000 vehicules, qui sont responsables
de 44% de l'oxyde nitreux dans la baie. De plus, des vehicules
de transport sont responsable de 18% de toutes les
emissions de particules et de 24% des composes organiques
qui s'evaporent dans l'air.
"Les gens pensent que Haifa a la pire qualite d'air en Israel,
mais ceci est tout simplement inexact", dit le
directeur general adjoint de Igud Arim de Haifa, le docteur
Bernanda Felikstein. "Demandez a quiconque sur les ecarts
en Israel et il accusera aussitot Haifa et de la baie de Haifa!
Personne ne pense que la situation est meilleure ici que dans
la region centrale Dan ou a Jerusalem."
Malgre les chiffres encourageants, Felikstein dit qu'il ne faut
pas en conclure que les industries a Haifa font assez.
"L'industrie devrait reduire la pollution au niveau le plus bas
possible, et ne le fait pas. Elle n'applique pas les normes
d'emissions les plus avances. Le fait que la qualite de l'air est
bonne a Haifa ne peut etre une des raisons pour lesquelles
l'industrie ne doit pas s'ameliorer dans ce domaine , dit-elle.
Meme le fait qu'en 2009 le gaz naturel sera importe pour etre
utilise dans cette region ne peut la convaincre. "Pendant des
annees, j'ai entendu que le gaz naturel allait tout de suite
arriver." Meme si il vient, cela ne resoudra pas le
probleme des emissions d'oxyde nitreux, " dit Felikstein.
Haifa, Israel n'est pas la ville la plus polluee d'Israel
Par Fadi Eyadat
La qualite de l'air dans la region de la baie de Haifa est
meilleure qu'elle ne l'est dans la region de Dan, a Jerusalem et
a Ashdod, Haifa, d'apres une association de sauvegarde
del'environnement a Haifa
De plus, la principale source de pollution en Israel est les
vehicules, qui sont responsables des emissions de protoxyde
d'azote et de particules, d'apres les donnees des Gardiens de la
Region de la Baie et du Ministere de la protection de
l'environnement.
Tant en 2005 et 2006, les ecarts par rapport aux normes de
qualite de l'air ont ete observees a Jerusalem et dans la region
de Dan trois a quatre fois plus que dans le secteur de la baie de
Haifa.
Pendant des annees, Haifa a ete consideree comme une ville
polluee en raison de sa proximite avec les raffineries de petrole
et les usines petrochimiques situees dans la baie. Mais les
donnees des Gardiens de la Baie de Haifa indiquent que la
qualite de l'air est meilleure que dans les autres grandes villes
israeliennes. La principale raison en est l'augmentation du
nombre de voitures - une source principale de pollution de l'air
ג€“ dansles autres regions. Dans la zone de Haifa, il y a
actuellement environ 200000 vehicules, qui sont responsables
de 44% de l'oxyde nitreux dans la baie. De plus, des vehicules
de transport sont responsable de 18% de toutes les
emissions de particules et de 24% des composes organiques
qui s'evaporent dans l'air.
"Les gens pensent que Haifa a la pire qualite d'air en Israel,
mais ceci est tout simplement inexact", dit le
directeur general adjoint de Igud Arim de Haifa, le docteur
Bernanda Felikstein. "Demandez a quiconque sur les ecarts
en Israel et il accusera aussitot Haifa et de la baie de Haifa!
Personne ne pense que la situation est meilleure ici que dans
la region centrale Dan ou a Jerusalem."
Malgre les chiffres encourageants, Felikstein dit qu'il ne faut
pas en conclure que les industries a Haifa font assez.
"L'industrie devrait reduire la pollution au niveau le plus bas
possible, et ne le fait pas. Elle n'applique pas les normes
d'emissions les plus avances. Le fait que la qualite de l'air est
bonne a Haifa ne peut etre une des raisons pour lesquelles
l'industrie ne doit pas s'ameliorer dans ce domaine , dit-elle.
Meme le fait qu'en 2009 le gaz naturel sera importe pour etre
utilise dans cette region ne peut la convaincre. "Pendant des
annees, j'ai entendu que le gaz naturel allait tout de suite
arriver." Meme si il vient, cela ne resoudra pas le
probleme des emissions d'oxyde nitreux, " dit Felikstein.
From H a a r e t z
Haifa - not Israel's dirtiest city
By Fadi Eyadat
The air quality in the Haifa Bay area is better than it is in the
Dan Region, Jerusalem and Ashdod, a Haifa-based
environmental union found.
Furthermore, the dominant source of pollution in Israel is
vehicles, which are responsible for emissions of nitrous oxide
and particles, according to data from the group the Guardians
of the Bay Area, and the Environmental Protection Ministry.
Both in 2005 and 2006, deviations from air quality standards
were observed in Jerusalem and in the Dan Region three to
four times more than in the Haifa Bay area.
For years, Haifa was considered a polluted city due to its
proximity to the oil refineries and petrochemical plants in the
Haifa Bay. However, the Bay Guardians data indicate that
Haifa has better air quality than other large Israeli cities do.
The main reason for it is the increase in the number of cars - a
primary source of air pollution - in other areas. In the Haifa
area, there are currently some 200,000 vehicles, which are
responsible for 44 percent of the nitrous oxide in the bay. In
addition, vehicular transportation is responsible for 18 percent
of all particle emissions and 24 percent of the organic
compounds that evaporate into the air.
"People think Haifa has the worst air quality in Israel, but that
is simply incorrect," says the deputy director general of the
Haifa Union of Cities, Dr. Bernanda Felikstein. "Ask anyone
about deviations in Israel and he will point to Haifa and the
Haifa Bay. No one would believe that the situation here is
better than in Gush Dan or Jerusalem."
Despite the encouraging figures, Felikstein says one should not
conclude that the industries in Haifa are doing enough.
"Industry must reduce pollution to the lowest possible level,
and it is not doing so. Industry is not applying advanced
emission standards. The fact that air quality in Haifa is good
cannot be a reason why industry doesn't have to improve in this
area," she says. Even the talk about the fact that in 2009
natural gas will be imported for use in the area does not
convince her. "For years I've been hearing, 'natural gas is
coming any day now.' Even if it comes, it doesn't solve the
problem of nitrous oxide emissions," Felikstein said.
Haifa - not Israel's dirtiest city
By Fadi Eyadat
The air quality in the Haifa Bay area is better than it is in the
Dan Region, Jerusalem and Ashdod, a Haifa-based
environmental union found.
Furthermore, the dominant source of pollution in Israel is
vehicles, which are responsible for emissions of nitrous oxide
and particles, according to data from the group the Guardians
of the Bay Area, and the Environmental Protection Ministry.
Both in 2005 and 2006, deviations from air quality standards
were observed in Jerusalem and in the Dan Region three to
four times more than in the Haifa Bay area.
For years, Haifa was considered a polluted city due to its
proximity to the oil refineries and petrochemical plants in the
Haifa Bay. However, the Bay Guardians data indicate that
Haifa has better air quality than other large Israeli cities do.
The main reason for it is the increase in the number of cars - a
primary source of air pollution - in other areas. In the Haifa
area, there are currently some 200,000 vehicles, which are
responsible for 44 percent of the nitrous oxide in the bay. In
addition, vehicular transportation is responsible for 18 percent
of all particle emissions and 24 percent of the organic
compounds that evaporate into the air.
"People think Haifa has the worst air quality in Israel, but that
is simply incorrect," says the deputy director general of the
Haifa Union of Cities, Dr. Bernanda Felikstein. "Ask anyone
about deviations in Israel and he will point to Haifa and the
Haifa Bay. No one would believe that the situation here is
better than in Gush Dan or Jerusalem."
Despite the encouraging figures, Felikstein says one should not
conclude that the industries in Haifa are doing enough.
"Industry must reduce pollution to the lowest possible level,
and it is not doing so. Industry is not applying advanced
emission standards. The fact that air quality in Haifa is good
cannot be a reason why industry doesn't have to improve in this
area," she says. Even the talk about the fact that in 2009
natural gas will be imported for use in the area does not
convince her. "For years I've been hearing, 'natural gas is
coming any day now.' Even if it comes, it doesn't solve the
problem of nitrous oxide emissions," Felikstein said.
11/10/09 La Coalition pour la santé publique exige que le
gouvernement fasse des efforts pour reduire la pollution de l'air
Par Ehud Zion Waldoks from the Jerusalem Post
Dans un nouveau rapport publié dimanche, la Coalition pour la
Santé Publique a accusé le gouvernement de ne pas faire assez
pour lutter activement contre la pollution de l'air.
La Coalition a plaidé pour une politique plus stricte, qui doit être
fondée sur le principe "de précaution", avec un accent particulier
sur ce qui est meilleur pour les enfants.
Le rapport, intitulé «En voyant ceux qui vont naître: Que sait-on
de la pollution atmosphérique et les maladies de l'enfant?" pose
la question de savoir, aussi bien en Israël qu'à l'étranger, si il
existe un lien de causalité entre la pollution atmosphérique et les
maladies pulmonaires, les cancers et la diminution de la capacité
pulmonaire chez les enfants.
Les auteurs de l'etude ont ecrit qu'en general les villes
européennes avaient des niveaux dangereusement élevés de
pollution, et les villes israéliennes encore pire. Le rapport est axé
en particulier sur la zone portuaire de Haïfa comme l'une des
zones les plus polluées en Israël.
Une grande partie du rapport a été basée sur un rapport de
l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) de 2005. Les auteurs
de ce rapport ont passé deux ans à recueillir des donnees sur la
pollution atmosphérique et les maladies.
Alors que des études antérieures avaient plus de difficultés à
prouver un lien entre la pollution atmosphérique et les maladies
des enfants, des études plus récentes ont trouve une relation
statistique. Dans certaines régions du monde, la probabilite pour
que des enfants développent un cancer double lorsqu'ils vivent à
proximité d'usines tres polluantes ou de centrales électriques.
Bien que le rapport était axé sur les enfants, l'organisation a noté
qu'il y avait également des risques pour les adultes. Les enfants
sont particulièrement sensibles à la pollution parce que leurs
poumons, leur système nerveux et leur cerveau sont en
développement.
Les enfants passent plus de temps à l'extérieur en général,
respirent de 20 a 50% plus d'air que les adultes lorsque ils jouent
à l'extérieur, et sont incapables de reconnaître les signes
avant-coureurs lors des journées très polluées, comme les maux
de tête et l'essoufflement - signes qui pousseraient les adultes à
rester a l'intérieur et hors de la pollution.
En Israël, par exemple, les enfants dans la région de Haïfa ont
été hospitalisés plus souvent que les enfants dans d'autres régions
du pays, en particulier pour les incidents liés à l'asthme. Une
autre étude d'élèves à Hadera a constaté une baisse de 10% dans
le fonctionnement des poumons, même quand les niveaux de
pollution étaient conformes aux normes israéliennes.
Le rapport visait à offrir un outil puissant pourceux qui prennent
des decisions, montrant la nécessité d'une approche plus prudente
et d'un resserrement des normes et de leur application. Plusieurs
domaines spécifiques doivent être serieusement améliorés
Le rapport exhorte le gouvernement à adopter le principe de
précaution pour toutes les décisions politiques. Même s'il y avait
seulement un soupçon que certains éléments risquent de causer
des dommages par leur emission, des mesures préventives
devraient être prises. Les auteurs de l'etude ecrivent: "Il n'y a
rien de plus sacré ou de plus fondamental que la santé de la
génération suivante".
Ils ont également appelé le gouvernement à utiliser tous les outils
disponibles pour exécuter les décisions, et de ne pas permetttre
d'installer de nouvelles sources de pollution dans les zones à haut
risque, de veiller a un meilleur suivi de la pollution et de
promouvoir le gaz naturel pour remplacer le pétrole que les
usines sont obligées de brûler maintenant dans la region du port
de Haïfa.
Le rapport a noté que la moitié de toute la pollution était causée
par les raffineries de pétrole et les centrales électriques. Un
pipeline de gaz naturel a été bloqué pendant des mois, ce qui
oblige les usines à brûler du pétrole polluant pour produire de
l'électricité.
La Coalition a également joint sa voix à d'autres groupes
environnementaux qui demandent sans cesse une meilleure
technologie de réduction de la pollution, une amelioration
serieuse des transports publics, et la réduction urgente de la
pollution dans la zone portuaire de Haïfa.
Les auteurs ont demande que soient effectuees des études
épidémiologiques de la population tout entière, et surtout des
enfants et demande la creation d'une unité nationale de la santé
environnementale pour aborder la question dans une perspective
de santé et non seulement un point de vue de la pollution.
Les auteurs ont noté que le Clean Air Act, qui devrait entrer en
vigueur en 2011, ne mentionne pas spécifiquement l'effet de la
pollution sur les enfants, alors que, dans d'autres pays, les
normes sont établies pour protéger spécifiquement.
gouvernement fasse des efforts pour reduire la pollution de l'air
Par Ehud Zion Waldoks from the Jerusalem Post
Dans un nouveau rapport publié dimanche, la Coalition pour la
Santé Publique a accusé le gouvernement de ne pas faire assez
pour lutter activement contre la pollution de l'air.
La Coalition a plaidé pour une politique plus stricte, qui doit être
fondée sur le principe "de précaution", avec un accent particulier
sur ce qui est meilleur pour les enfants.
Le rapport, intitulé «En voyant ceux qui vont naître: Que sait-on
de la pollution atmosphérique et les maladies de l'enfant?" pose
la question de savoir, aussi bien en Israël qu'à l'étranger, si il
existe un lien de causalité entre la pollution atmosphérique et les
maladies pulmonaires, les cancers et la diminution de la capacité
pulmonaire chez les enfants.
Les auteurs de l'etude ont ecrit qu'en general les villes
européennes avaient des niveaux dangereusement élevés de
pollution, et les villes israéliennes encore pire. Le rapport est axé
en particulier sur la zone portuaire de Haïfa comme l'une des
zones les plus polluées en Israël.
Une grande partie du rapport a été basée sur un rapport de
l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) de 2005. Les auteurs
de ce rapport ont passé deux ans à recueillir des donnees sur la
pollution atmosphérique et les maladies.
Alors que des études antérieures avaient plus de difficultés à
prouver un lien entre la pollution atmosphérique et les maladies
des enfants, des études plus récentes ont trouve une relation
statistique. Dans certaines régions du monde, la probabilite pour
que des enfants développent un cancer double lorsqu'ils vivent à
proximité d'usines tres polluantes ou de centrales électriques.
Bien que le rapport était axé sur les enfants, l'organisation a noté
qu'il y avait également des risques pour les adultes. Les enfants
sont particulièrement sensibles à la pollution parce que leurs
poumons, leur système nerveux et leur cerveau sont en
développement.
Les enfants passent plus de temps à l'extérieur en général,
respirent de 20 a 50% plus d'air que les adultes lorsque ils jouent
à l'extérieur, et sont incapables de reconnaître les signes
avant-coureurs lors des journées très polluées, comme les maux
de tête et l'essoufflement - signes qui pousseraient les adultes à
rester a l'intérieur et hors de la pollution.
En Israël, par exemple, les enfants dans la région de Haïfa ont
été hospitalisés plus souvent que les enfants dans d'autres régions
du pays, en particulier pour les incidents liés à l'asthme. Une
autre étude d'élèves à Hadera a constaté une baisse de 10% dans
le fonctionnement des poumons, même quand les niveaux de
pollution étaient conformes aux normes israéliennes.
Le rapport visait à offrir un outil puissant pourceux qui prennent
des decisions, montrant la nécessité d'une approche plus prudente
et d'un resserrement des normes et de leur application. Plusieurs
domaines spécifiques doivent être serieusement améliorés
Le rapport exhorte le gouvernement à adopter le principe de
précaution pour toutes les décisions politiques. Même s'il y avait
seulement un soupçon que certains éléments risquent de causer
des dommages par leur emission, des mesures préventives
devraient être prises. Les auteurs de l'etude ecrivent: "Il n'y a
rien de plus sacré ou de plus fondamental que la santé de la
génération suivante".
Ils ont également appelé le gouvernement à utiliser tous les outils
disponibles pour exécuter les décisions, et de ne pas permetttre
d'installer de nouvelles sources de pollution dans les zones à haut
risque, de veiller a un meilleur suivi de la pollution et de
promouvoir le gaz naturel pour remplacer le pétrole que les
usines sont obligées de brûler maintenant dans la region du port
de Haïfa.
Le rapport a noté que la moitié de toute la pollution était causée
par les raffineries de pétrole et les centrales électriques. Un
pipeline de gaz naturel a été bloqué pendant des mois, ce qui
oblige les usines à brûler du pétrole polluant pour produire de
l'électricité.
La Coalition a également joint sa voix à d'autres groupes
environnementaux qui demandent sans cesse une meilleure
technologie de réduction de la pollution, une amelioration
serieuse des transports publics, et la réduction urgente de la
pollution dans la zone portuaire de Haïfa.
Les auteurs ont demande que soient effectuees des études
épidémiologiques de la population tout entière, et surtout des
enfants et demande la creation d'une unité nationale de la santé
environnementale pour aborder la question dans une perspective
de santé et non seulement un point de vue de la pollution.
Les auteurs ont noté que le Clean Air Act, qui devrait entrer en
vigueur en 2011, ne mentionne pas spécifiquement l'effet de la
pollution sur les enfants, alors que, dans d'autres pays, les
normes sont établies pour protéger spécifiquement.
11/10/09 Coalition for Public Health demands more gov't
efforts to curb air pollution
By EHUD ZION WALDOKS from the Jerusalem Post
The Coalition for Public Health charged that the government
was not doing enough to actively fight against air pollution, in a
new report released by the organization on Sunday.
The coalition argued for a stricter policy to be based on the
"precautionary principle," with a specific emphasis on what is
best for children.
The report, entitled "Seeing those to be born: What is known
about air pollution and children's illnesses?" surveyed studies
both within Israel and abroad which found a causal link
between air pollution and pulmonary diseases, cancer and
decreased lung capacity among children.
In general, European cities had dangerously high pollution
levels, and Israeli cities were worse, the authors wrote. The
report focused especially on the Haifa Port area as one of the
most polluted areas in Israel.
Much of the report was based on a 2005 World Health
Organization (WHO) report whose authors spent two years
collecting studies about air pollution and diseases.
Whereas earlier studies had a harder time proving any
connection between air pollution and children's illnesses, more
recent studies have generated statistical proof. In some areas of
the world, children's chances of developing cancer were
doubled by living in proximity to highly polluting factories or
power stations.
While the report focused on children, there were also risks to
adults as well, the organization noted. Children were especially
susceptible to pollution because their lungs, nervous system and
brain were all developing.
Children also breathed in 20-50% more air when playing
outside than adults, spent more time in general outside, and
were apt to be unable to recognize warning signs during highly
polluted days like headaches and shortness of breath - signs that
would drive adults indoors and out of the pollution.
In Israel, for instance, children in the Haifa area were
hospitalized more often than children in other areas of the
country, especially for asthma-related incidents. Another study
of pupils in Hadera found a 10% decrease in lung functioning,
even when pollution levels complied with Israeli standards.
The report was aimed at providing a potent tool for
decision-makers, showing the need for a more cautionary
approach and a tightening of standards and enforcement.
Several specific areas needed to be vastly improved, the authors
wrote.
They urged the government to adopt the "precautionary
principle" in all policy decisions. Even if there was only a
suspicion that certain elements would cause damage if emitted,
then preventive steps should be taken. There was nothing more
sacred or more fundamental than the health of the next
generation, they wrote.
They also called on the government to use all of the available
tools to enforce decisions, not to allow more pollution sources
into high risk areas, better monitoring and promoting natural
gas to replace the oil that the factories are forced to burn now
in the Haifa Port area.
The report noted that half of all pollution in the report was
caused by oil refineries and the power plants. A natural gas
pipeline has been stalled for months, forcing the factories to
continue to burn highly polluting oil to produce electricity.
The coalition also joined its voice to other environmental
groups who continually demand better pollution reduction
technology, serious emphasis on public transportation, and
emergency pollution reduction in the Haifa Port area.
Finally, epidemiological studies of the entire population, and
especially children, should be carried out, the authors wrote.
In addition, a national environmental health unit should be
established to tackle the issue from a health perspective and not
just a pollution perspective.
The authors noted that the Clean Air Act, set to go into effect in
2011, does not make specific mention of the effect of pollution
on children, whereas, in other countries, standards are set to
specifically protect them.
efforts to curb air pollution
By EHUD ZION WALDOKS from the Jerusalem Post
The Coalition for Public Health charged that the government
was not doing enough to actively fight against air pollution, in a
new report released by the organization on Sunday.
The coalition argued for a stricter policy to be based on the
"precautionary principle," with a specific emphasis on what is
best for children.
The report, entitled "Seeing those to be born: What is known
about air pollution and children's illnesses?" surveyed studies
both within Israel and abroad which found a causal link
between air pollution and pulmonary diseases, cancer and
decreased lung capacity among children.
In general, European cities had dangerously high pollution
levels, and Israeli cities were worse, the authors wrote. The
report focused especially on the Haifa Port area as one of the
most polluted areas in Israel.
Much of the report was based on a 2005 World Health
Organization (WHO) report whose authors spent two years
collecting studies about air pollution and diseases.
Whereas earlier studies had a harder time proving any
connection between air pollution and children's illnesses, more
recent studies have generated statistical proof. In some areas of
the world, children's chances of developing cancer were
doubled by living in proximity to highly polluting factories or
power stations.
While the report focused on children, there were also risks to
adults as well, the organization noted. Children were especially
susceptible to pollution because their lungs, nervous system and
brain were all developing.
Children also breathed in 20-50% more air when playing
outside than adults, spent more time in general outside, and
were apt to be unable to recognize warning signs during highly
polluted days like headaches and shortness of breath - signs that
would drive adults indoors and out of the pollution.
In Israel, for instance, children in the Haifa area were
hospitalized more often than children in other areas of the
country, especially for asthma-related incidents. Another study
of pupils in Hadera found a 10% decrease in lung functioning,
even when pollution levels complied with Israeli standards.
The report was aimed at providing a potent tool for
decision-makers, showing the need for a more cautionary
approach and a tightening of standards and enforcement.
Several specific areas needed to be vastly improved, the authors
wrote.
They urged the government to adopt the "precautionary
principle" in all policy decisions. Even if there was only a
suspicion that certain elements would cause damage if emitted,
then preventive steps should be taken. There was nothing more
sacred or more fundamental than the health of the next
generation, they wrote.
They also called on the government to use all of the available
tools to enforce decisions, not to allow more pollution sources
into high risk areas, better monitoring and promoting natural
gas to replace the oil that the factories are forced to burn now
in the Haifa Port area.
The report noted that half of all pollution in the report was
caused by oil refineries and the power plants. A natural gas
pipeline has been stalled for months, forcing the factories to
continue to burn highly polluting oil to produce electricity.
The coalition also joined its voice to other environmental
groups who continually demand better pollution reduction
technology, serious emphasis on public transportation, and
emergency pollution reduction in the Haifa Port area.
Finally, epidemiological studies of the entire population, and
especially children, should be carried out, the authors wrote.
In addition, a national environmental health unit should be
established to tackle the issue from a health perspective and not
just a pollution perspective.
The authors noted that the Clean Air Act, set to go into effect in
2011, does not make specific mention of the effect of pollution
on children, whereas, in other countries, standards are set to
specifically protect them.
Le sujet de la pollution est tres charge a Haifa a cause de
l'importance des industries chimiques qui y sont implantees.
La ville est epinglee comme ville polluee bien que des progres
considerables aient ete faits pendant les dernieres annees,
beaucoup grace aux associations ecologiques. Ces progres ne
sont pas suffisants et nous devons exiger ds efforts plus
importants de la part des autorites publiques pour legiferer et
pour enforcer les lois et les regulations
Voici quelques articles sur la qualite de l'air, de la mer et du
Kishon
les mauvaise nouvelles en gris
les bonnees et les progres en vert
En depit de tout ce gris ( et il reste beaucoup a faire) les index de
pollution de l'air sont inferieurs a ceux requis par le EPA (agence
des USA pour l'environnement)
l'importance des industries chimiques qui y sont implantees.
La ville est epinglee comme ville polluee bien que des progres
considerables aient ete faits pendant les dernieres annees,
beaucoup grace aux associations ecologiques. Ces progres ne
sont pas suffisants et nous devons exiger ds efforts plus
importants de la part des autorites publiques pour legiferer et
pour enforcer les lois et les regulations
Voici quelques articles sur la qualite de l'air, de la mer et du
Kishon
les mauvaise nouvelles en gris
les bonnees et les progres en vert
En depit de tout ce gris ( et il reste beaucoup a faire) les index de
pollution de l'air sont inferieurs a ceux requis par le EPA (agence
des USA pour l'environnement)
Octobre 2009 Rapport de la Coalition pour la Sante Publique
Miriam Neiger