Israel Air Force Base Fuel Leaks Into Northern Israel River
Fuel contamination was reported on Tuesday afternoon to the Environmental Protection Ministry, but the source of the leak has yet to be found.
A large amount of fuel from the Israel Air Force base at Ramat David in northern Israel leaked into Nahal Kishon in the area of Kfar Yehoshua on Tuesday, contaminating the stream. The Environmental Protection Ministry has asked the IAF to take immediate action to stop the leak. Ministry officials say that fuel leaks from the military base have contaminated the ground and water nearby on numerous occasions over the past several years.
Fuel contamination in the drainage channel that empties into the river was reported on Tuesday afternoon to the ministry, the Kishon River Authority and the Kishon River Drainage Authority. An Environmental Protection Ministry team dispatched to the site found fuel mixed with the storm runoff flowing from the base into the stream. The ministry asked base personnel to locate the source of the leak, seal it and make available equipment to pump out the fuel and limit its spread. The team from the ministry did not find evidence of new fuel leaks.
The ministry says that pumping equipment was not brought to the site until Wednesday morning, the source of the leak was not found and the base has failed to comply with its demands aimed at preventing pollution, noting that the base commander was summoned to the ministry’s offices earlier this month in an attempt to clarify the situation.