Air pollution in Haifa
Photo: Channel 2
Knesset: No grants for polluting factories
Knesset’s Finance Committee has approved Tuesday for second and third reading three bills stating polluting factories would not be eligible for government grants and funding; bills submitted last year after Adam Teva V’Din – Israel Union for Environmental Defense - revealed that polluting factories received financial support from governmental institutions
The Knesset’s Finance Committee has approved Tuesday for second and third reading three bills stating polluting factories would not be eligible for government grants and funding.
The bills were submitted about a year ago after Adam Teva V’Din – Israel Union for Environmental Defense - revealed that polluting factories were receiving financial support from governmental institutions.
Finance Committee Chairman MK Amnon Cohen (Shas) said a situation in which the government simultaneously rewards and punishes polluting factories is unacceptable.
“Factories that earn their wealth from exploiting workers or polluting the air and water that belong to all of us should be punished severely and not receive incentives and grants as rewards for their criminal activity,” he said.
The committee decided that within the next nine months the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, following consultations with the Environment Ministry, would draft guidelines stating the requirements fro receiving government grants or funding. Until then, government grants will be given to factories in accordance with Environment Ministry recommendations.
Adam Teva V’Din Director Tzipi Isar Itzik said in response to the decision, “We hope the scandalous and absurd situation we exposed last year will come to an end after the bills are submitted for second and third readings.
