The deal reached between the government and Dead Sea Works is making constant headlines – especially since it was approved contrary to the opinions of the environment and tourism ministers and in light of the mounting questions about the royalties that the State will or won't be getting, the funding of the Dead Sea's rehabilitation, and the transparency of the entire process. The deal – much of which centers on the State's wish to raise the royalties Dead Sea Works pays and its fiscal responsibility for the future of the salt harvest on the south bank – raised several fundamental issues about the way the State manages Israel's natural resources, what share the public has in any revenue derived and what direct and indirect environmental impact such activity has. Related stories: Gov't falters on the environment – again Electricity prices must go up The common premise when it comes to using natural resources stems from a cost-benefit equation. However, over the past few years, more and more people have begun seeing natural resources as a deposit – a natural fund of sorts – that allows us to use the resources to our benefit, but also mandates that we use them wisely and preserve them for future generations. This raises a number of questions, including what price must be attached to the use of natural resources and how any revenue derived should be split – as well as the concern of responsible use. Setting the price Israel's natural resources are managed by the State, which licenses them out. The State holds on to the natural resources as the public's de facto trustee. As such, it must review both the positive and negative effects their use might have on the public and future generations. Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan tried to promote such a notion last week, by urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a committee to that effect. The question of price, in this case, must include a variety of financial, social and environmental variables but it must state – from the very beginning – that some things are priceless: Human lives and irrevocable harm to natural resources. Therefore, the compensation mechanism afforded to the general public should also include several financial avenues: Industries should pay royalties for the right to use natural resources they should pay an eco-tax, or "green tax," to cover foreseeable damages caused to the environment during use and they should be subjected to a "pollution-payment" mechanism that holds them financially accountable for any environmental impact they may cause. The debate, however, extends beyond the mere sums that are paid to the public and into the manner in which these funds are used. The Treasury claims that all of the royalties paid to the State are reinvested in education, infrastructure, etc. But this concept does very little to ensure that the natural resources remain available for future generations. Some of the funds must be allocated towards diminishing the environmental impact and the rehabilitation of those resources, and some of the funds must be set aside for future generations. We've always been told that Israel's natural resources are limited. Now we find that that is not necessarily the case – we have quite a few natural resources, but they have been grossly mismanaged by the State, and we are all made to pay the price of that failure. Prof. Adi Wolfson is Head of the Chemical Engineering Department at SCE College of Engineering Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter