The Defense Ministry is to begin earthworks in the coming days for the future Israel Defense Forces mega-base south of the Ramat Hovav industrial zone in the Negev.
A groundbreaking ceremony that had been scheduled for this week has been postponed, ministry sources said yesterday.
Environmental groups had tried to delay the work, arguing that the health impact of putting the base near the industrial zone had not been assessed. They oppose the plan for the scheme to be approved by the planning and construction committee for security-related facilities, which has the authority to expedite such a project.
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Green Course, a university students' environmental group, said that no public representatives serve on this committee, as they do on regular planning and construction committees, and that its work is not transparent.
The Union for Environmental Defense (UED) last week petitioned the Be'er Sheva District Court against the approval process for the base. The petition, which will be heard next month, demands that the committee not be allowed to approve the building of the base until the complete plan has gone through regular committee channels for planning and construction.
Based on previous rulings of the High Court of Justice, the UED says the approval process should be conducted with caution when it comes to large complexes.
"This plan has been given considerable public exposure, and its discussion has been going on for years, so there are no elements of urgency and secrecy that would justify approving it by the special committee," the petition states.
The Ramat Hovav Local Council presented its plan for dealing with industrial waste last week at the Sderot Conference. Council representatives said that by 2010 air pollution emissions from Ramat Hovav smokestacks will be reduced by 95 percent, and other kinds of emissions will be reduced by 66 percent.
The council also said that by next year practically no odor or air pollution damage will be felt beyond its boundaries, and in two years, civilian and military activities can take place with no adverse health effects.
But the council recommended moving the Bedouin living in the area to permanent dwellings. "It's impossible to live in corrugated tin shacks and tents so close to chemical industries," council CEO Yossi Ziv said.
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