Environment minister calls for probe into toxic Negev blast - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Mon., August 13, 2007 Av 29, 5767

Israel Time: 01:23 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Real Estate

Arts & Leisure

Jewish World

National

Sports

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Opinion

Business

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Travel

Q&A



		The Ramat Hovav industrial zone. (Archives)

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 19:13 13/08/2007

Environment minister calls for probe into toxic Negev blast

By Mijal Greenberg, Haaretz Correspondent

Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra called on Monday for an investigation into an explosion earlier in the day at the Makhteshim Chemical Works factory. The blast was caused by a toxic chemical leak and lightly injured three people.

Ezra demanded a report into the incident be submitted within 24 hours.

Firefighting teams successfully contained the leak that occurred shortly before noon on Monday at the factory in the Ramat Hovav industrial zone in the Negev.

	Advertisement

The explosion damaged a tank containing organophosphorus compounds used in the production of insecticides, releasing unknown quantities of the chemicals into the air. The cause of the explosion is still unknown.

The substance could cause respiratory problems and nerve damage. Many organophosphates are potent neurotoxins, functioning by inhibiting the action of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in nerve cells. They are one of the most common causes of poisoning worldwide.

Police temporarily closed Route 40, the main road in the area.

Environmental Protection Ministry teams found traces of the dangerous chemicals in Bedouin communities in the surrounding area. Bedouins said that police contacted them and asked them to evacuate the area.

The factory's workers returned to work after they were evacuated to a safe zone to protect them from the toxins.

Green Party Chairman Pe'er Wisner said the explosion is further proof that the Israel Defense Forces should rethink its plannes to build a base near Ramat Hovav. "Barak must act to alter the decision to build the base near Ramat Hovav, and prevent the needless harming of soldiers," he said.

"There was a reaction of chemical agents that got out of control and was skillfully dealt with by the factory's reaction teams and its automated systems," said Ezra. "It's lucky that there were no schoolchildren among the Bedouin. It has been said before that they shouldn't be living in this area."

However, Ezra sees no reason to withdraw his support from the plan to construct a massive IDF base - dubbed Training Base City - in the area. "The situation needs to be calmed... Training Base City and Be'er Sheva are out of the range of territory that was endangered by the disaster," he said.

The state has been trying to resolve the Ramat Hovav environmental problems for some fifteen years, and those problems are delaying the IDF training camp project.

The army would like to build the training camp at Negev Junction, about ten kilometers from the industrial zone, but is waiting for completion of a plan to handle environmental problems.

Resolving the Ramat Hovav environmental problems is largely dependent on the Environment Ministry reaching agreements with the chemical factories regarding the handling of their toxic wastes.

The Ramat Hovav local council is convinced that various measures implemented by the factories have eliminated health risks to constructing the huge training camp.

Air quality data for the proposed camp site indicates that the pollution concentration in the area is in accordance with levels permitted under international standards.

Makhteshim Chemical Works Ltd. is Israel's main producer and exporter of crop protection chemicals.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Shark tank
	An economist says Israel's top reforms are made by headfirst, anti-government blitzes.


	The builder crumbles
	When a contractor collapses, the buyers may suffer heavy costs they can't cover.




1.	Crop protection	13:54	\|	Peter	13/08/07

2.	The absence of the rule of law	14:07	\|	sh	13/08/07

3.	Organophosphates	14:09	\|	Stephen Isherwood	13/08/07

4.	The answer is blowing in the wind	15:40	\|	sh	13/08/07

5.	Greenwashing	15:50	\|	Devorah Brous	13/08/07

6.	sh,you`ve given up on your car and waterloo of course	21:02	\|	Absolute Sweden	13/08/07

7.	Steve Isherwood,you`re obviously afflicted with organophisphates	21:11	\|	Absolute Sweden	13/08/07

8.	The firemen	23:55	\|	Yoel	13/08/07

Today Online


	U.K. panel tells Brown boycott of Hamas is counterproductive
	Responses: 263


	Israeli Arab group claims responsibility for Jerusalem attack
	Responses: 141


	Kurds build an island of calm within Iraq's inferno
	Responses: 88


	Shlomo Avineri: Israel cannot appear to be driving force in Iraq
	Responses: 68


	American billionaire Adelson pledges $60 million to birthright
	Responses: 66

Rosner's Domain

* Blog and Poll: Is the US leaving Iraq? Not so fast...

* New Guest: The revolution of Orthodox women

* WTR: Mitt Romney and Israel

* The Orthodox Union should raise its voice against Orthodox disobedience

More Headlines
22:50 IDF identifies bodies of 5 soldiers killed in 1948 war


22:28 Prominent law professors sign petition slamming justice min.


23:41 Young Jewish woman, 23, attacked in Paris by hooded men


00:18 Hamas says it's ready for any dialogue with the West


22:29 MKs criticize Itzik for ignoring Holocaust survivors' plight


22:31 IDF backtracks on criminalization of illegal W. Bank construction


23:15 IDF troops capture four armed Palestinian infiltrators near the Gaza border


22:31 Israel, PA sign agreement on role of int'l observers in Hebron


18:48 Professor says leftist 'terrorists' made him apologize for comments