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'Israelis becoming more spoiled', says environment minister
In special Ynet interview, Gideon Ezra says he will continue to fight pollution of ground, air, water and encourage municipalities to recycle
Moran Rada
"The Environmental Protection Ministry sees reducing the pollution from the factories in Haifa bay as its top priority," said Environment Minister Gidon Ezra in an interview with Ynet Thursday.
Ezra was first asked to address the incident at
Haifa bay two weeks ago, when a factory emitted chemical odors, reaching Haifa and the krayot area.
| Eco Hazard |
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| Beersheba was never at risk, says Environmental Protection Ministry / Anat Bereshkovsky |
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Investigation into Monday's explosion at Ramah Hovav yields initial report: Factory's production line to shut down; emergency services, environment protection teams praised for fast actions |
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"I don't think we can or should move existing plants from Haifa bay and I don't believe that is what the residents want, since many find their livelihood in those plants.
"The problem," added Ezra, "is that we are getting more and more spoiled. Are we planning to build new factories in the bay in the future? We are working so none of the plants built would go up near residential areas."
As for the controversy surrounding Ramat Hovav, the pollution levels are lower than ever. "One of our central concerns in monitoring Ramat Hovav and its factories. The plants are required to contain any abnormal reading and we monitor the emission of any hazardous materials," said the minister.
"The explosion that
happened at Ramat Hovav 10 days ago was contained, and had no effect beyond two kilometers… it had no effect on Beersheba or the area intended to house the military's training bases.
"The military bases are an imperative project for the Negev and they will be built 5.5 miles from Ramat Hovav… the soldiers staying in the military's training bases will not be exposed to any kind of hazardous pollution. The pollution in Tel Aviv is higher than the level here," he added.
"The Environmental Protection Ministry does its best to reduce pollution everywhere by encouraging the use of public transportation. I'm all for upping taxes on polluting vehicles and improving public transportation," said Ezra.
The ministry, he added, is exploring new recycling legislation as well. "It is up to the local municipalities to encourage recycling, not up to the Environmental Protection Ministry," Ezra said.
One of the things he is proud of the most is the recently passed tax bill, according to which municipalities would pay higher state taxes for every ton of waste placed in underground sites instead of being recycled.
What about our water? Ezra said he has no problem drinking tap water, adding "Mekorot's main waterline's filter is in perfect working order, but we – of course – have to do everything we can to make sure we don't contaminate our water wells."
As for protecting Israel's beaches, Ezra believes that "The waste pumped out to the ocean is at its lowest rate ever… we've hardened our stand on the matter both for giving permits and for dealing with such pollution," he said "but you have to remember the public has a lot to do with keeping our beaches and waters clean."
The Environmental Protection Ministry, stressed Ezra, has a good working relationship with the various environmental organizations working in Israel and with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
"They are all our partners and the latter in subsidized by the ministry. It's a shame the budget cuts have taken a toll on their activities."
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