Taking on air pollution: The Environmental Protection Ministry introduced its new anti-air pollution plan last week, saying the changes it proposes will both help save lives and save the Israeli market over NIS 1.5 billion ($394.5 million) a year. The plan stands to cost NIS 690 million ($181.5 million) for the years 2011-2020. The ministry said that the market currently bears astronomical costs due to air pollution-related health problems, and those expenditures are likely to top NIS 7.8 billion ($2.05B) by 2015 and NIS 8.5 billion ($2.23B) by 2020. Related stories: Group proposes 'green New Deal' Air pollution drops dramatically on Yom Kippur While gov't wavers, cities combat pollution The plan includes various new guidelines, covering the fields of transportation, industry and energy, whose implementation could significantly reduce air pollution in Israel. The government is set to vote on the plan within the next few weeks. The plan's main energy guidelines include declaring the new Ashkelon power plant as a natural gas only facility scaling domestic power consumption rates and implementing lower night-time rates introducing a "smart power grid" to manage real-time power consumption introducing fuel fume recovery system in gas stations nationwide, and implementing past government decisions on the promotion of renewable energy initiatives. Polluting in Tel Aviv (Archives) The proposed industrial guidelines include introducing stricter sulfur dioxide emission guidelines formulating a plan to decrease breathable particles emissions from quarries formulating an emission-reduction plan for volatilizable organic compounds to encourage ozone production creating natural gas distribution infrastructure, and increasing enforcement. Other articles call for the Treasury to impose a differential tax on various fuel oils according to their environmental impact allotting millions of shekels in favor of a new national air pollution monitoring center and increasing public awareness to smart energy consumption. The Health Ministry, for its part, will work to increase public awareness to the effects of air pollution. "Implementing the plan, as mandated by the Clean Air Act will address Israel's gravest environmental problem, which claims the lives of hundreds of people every year," Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said. "Israel is expected to become one of the most densely populated countries in the West. This plan has to be implemented urgently if we want to avoid the kind of air pollution problems faced by nations like china." The plan stands to see Israel join the forefront of the fight against air pollution, along with the most advanced Western nations, he added. Follow Ynetnews of Facebook, Twitter and Google+