State of Israel Ministry of the Environment
ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN April 2006
volume 30
Ministry of the Environment
Cover Photo: Electricity Dead Sea Dror Nush and Air Quality 12 22 www.environment.gov.il 2005 at a Glance Dear Reader: Environmental achievements in 2005. 3 The April 2006 Israel Environment "Clean Coast" Project: Facts and Figures Bulletin presents some of the main Measuring the results of the "Clean Coast" project. 8 environmental issues of 2005. The first section provides a bird’s eye Regulating the Electricity Sector view of key achievements, while Draft regulations aim to prevent and abate air pollution from power plants. 12 subsequent pages present an in- depth look at some major issues Air Quality in Israel: 2005 - air quality trends, pollution A look at air quality trends shows some improvements 16 abatement in the electricity generation sector, risk and highlights focal points for action. management in the industrial sector, the future of the Risk Management – Confronting the Challenge Dead Sea, exposure to non-ionizing radiation, "Green Twenty industrial plants are testing the applicability 18 Schools" and green army bases. of a manual on preventing accidental releases of hazardous substances. Many of the achievements outlined in this bulletin are attributed to the efforts of former Environment Minister Confronting the Dead Sea Dilemma Shalom Simhon, who stepped down in November 2005, A policy document confronts uncertainties in the 22 due to political developments in Israel and the decision future of the Dead Sea in a scenario of continued to hold early general elections. During his service as water decline. Environment Minister, Simhon succeeded in substantially Environmental Units: Serving the Local Population increasing the ministry’s budget which facilitated the With ten new units, municipal environmental units now 26 promotion of a wide range of environmental actions. cover 90% of Israel’s land area. These include: open space preservation; national Soundproofing Schools for a Sound Education cleanliness campaign; reduction of public exposure to Acoustic treatment of schools and kindergartens in the radiation from cellular base stations; and allocation of vicinity of Ben-Gurion Airport. 27 additional funds to the Nature and Parks Authority, to animal welfare projects, to environmental education Base Station Antennas and the Precautionary Principle and to a host of other environmental projects on the Government approves recommendations of a committee on the siting and licensing of cellular 28 local level. antennas. Hopefully, in the words of Mr. Shalom Simhon during his farewell message, the Ministry of the Environment will Green all Over: From Kindergarten to University continue to play a major role in "shaping the image of the The "Green School" project expands to community centers, State of Israel in subjects which are vital for its future." kindergartens and college campuses. 30 In January 2006, the government appointed Minister of Greening the Israel Defense Forces Presentation of environmental awards to army units, soldiers Internal Security Gideon Ezra to serve as Minister of the and commanders for environmental projects. 32 Environment until a new government is formed. To stay updated about environmental developments in Environmental Legislation A new law on non-ionizing radiation, amendments to existing Israel, please visit our English website – laws and new regulations set out to improve the quality of the 34 www.environment.gov.il/english. environment in Israel on all fronts. Shoshana Gabbay Cover photo: Dror Nush, first prize, "IDF and Environment." Editor Back cover photo: Meytal Nissim, third prize, "IDF and the Environment." Photos: Ministry of the Environment, Israel Airports Authority, Israel Defense Forces, Friends of the Earth Middle East, Alon Karmiel School, Haifa Chemicals, Ronen Alkalay, Gidi Bettelheim, Galia Ben-Shoham, Michal Ben-Shushan, Lior Elovitch, Alex Kaplan, Ilan Malester, Eli Raz, Chagai Shyowitz, Roi Simcha, Alex Weinreb, Keren Mizrachi, Dalit Ehrlich, Medvey Feldman, Judy Elispor
Production: Publications and Information Unit Ministry of the Environment 2005 AT A GLANCE
What happened in 2005? The latest data on million Bottle Collection under the Deposit Law (millions of bottles) 400 the environment in Israel! 350 328 337 W 300 295 250
200 184
150
100
50
1.4 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
tons Distribution of Hazardous Waste in Israel Treating municipal, industrial and agricultural 350,000 waste 300,000
• Two sites for crushing and recycling construction 250,000 and demolition waste began to operate. 200,000 • Some 337 million bottles and cans (under 1.5 liters) were collected under the Deposit Law 150,000 for Beverage Containers - 10% more than in 100,000
2004. 50,000 • Schoolchildren collected more than one million 0 cans and bottles for recycling under the Deposit 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 treatment outside Ramat Hovav export disposal to Ramat Hovav Law. • A used tire recycling bill passed its first reading in the Knesset. • The Environment Ministry allocated one million Hazardous Waste Treatment (2004) export shekels to industrial plants for minimizing use as fuel 4% hazardous waste and toxicity at source. 4% recovery Since initiation in 1999, 33 projects have been 23% implemented. • Out of some 340,000 tons of hazardous waste produced in 2004, nearly 103,000 tons were disposal disposed to the Ramat Hovav national treatment 69% site – about 30%. A similar quantity reached Ramat Hovav in 2005. • The environmental problem solving approach was used to advance projects on used oil Number of Cleanliness Reports collection from garages and waste tire collection by Enforcement Bodies and treatment. 1,235 • A reform package in the dairy sector led to Inspectors environmental improvements in 97% of Israel's 2,480 Green dairy farms. Police • The number of volunteer cleanliness trustees Cleanliness Israel Police Trustees reached 157,497, with 3110 new trustees 9,066 appointed in 2005. They issued 61.4% of the 1,984 total number of cleanliness reports under the Maintenance of Cleanliness Law. Cormorants at Achziv. Photo: Gidi Bettelheim
Intensive Wastewater Treatment Plants (For Flows Exceeding 0.5 MCM/year) Preventing water pollution and restoring rivers
number of treatment plants MCM/year • A government decision called for the removal 40 400 of Eilat's fish cages from the Red Sea within 35 350 three years. 30 300
25 250 • A multi-annual project to keep Israel’s coastline
20 200 clean – "Going for a Clean Coast" - was
15 150 launched.
10 100 • Assessments of pollution in Israel’s major rivers 5 50 revealed a 50%-80% reduction in pollution load 0 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 between the years 1994 and 2003. Number of Wastewater Treatment Plants Million cubic meters/year • Israel ratified the amendment to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of tons/year Annual Pollution Load in Major Israeli Streams the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution. 25000 22904 • Water quality continued to improve in the
20000 Kishon River as major industrial plants complied with stringent discharge permits. 15000 • Discharge of wastewater from Nahariya 11559 10318 10000 9056 into the sea stopped, eliminating one of the 6607 6531 two remaining sources of municipal sewage 5212 5000 4775 4295 2683 2284 discharge into the Mediterranean Sea. 1072 0 • The government adopted the recommenda- T. Organic Carbon Total Nitrogen Total Phosphorus 1994 2000 2001 2003 tions of the Inbar Committee on upgraded effluent quality standards for unrestricted index Clean Coast Index 2005 - Acre irrigation and discharge to rivers. 30 • The Ashkelon Desalination Plant, the largest of 25 Extremely its kind in the world, began initial production Dirty
20 in August 2005. It is expected to produce an annual 100 million cubic meters of water. 15 Dirty
10 Moderate
5 Clean
Very Clean 0 28/5/05 17/7/05 5/9/05 25/10/05 14/12/05 date
Jordan River. Photo: Friends of the Earth Middle East ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 NOx Annual Averages and Exceedances of the Half-Hour Standard in the Klal Jerusalem Transportation Station
Annual Average (ppb) and no. of exceedances 1000 Reducing air pollution from transportation 928 900 834 and industrial sources 800 700 • A statistical analysis confirmed reductions in 600 sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon 500 400 dioxide in the years 1999-2004. 300 261 284 227 179 190 200 151 136 • According to preliminary data, air quality 107 93 100 79 0 in several Israel cities improved in 2005 Annual Averages No. of Exceedances of the Half-Hour Standard
compared to 2004. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 • Mayors of local authorities in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area signed a covenant for
reducing air pollution. ppm Reduction in Sulfur Content in Diesel • The Public Utility Authority (PUA) – Electricity 2500
2000 began paying premiums to ten private 2000 electricity producers using renewable 1500 energy technologies based on the estimated costs of pollution prevention 1000 500 500 per ton of emissions. 350
50 10 • Updated personal decrees for air pollution 0 reduction, based on TA-Luft 2002, were 1994 1999 Sept. 2000 Jan. 2004 April 2006 prepared for major industrial plants in Haifa Bay. • An air quality management system, based Pollutant Emissions from the Eshkol Power Plant in Ashdod on emission data from all pollution sources tons/year
35,000 in the country, neared completion. 1,161 30,000 • The Ashdod power plant operated on 748 25,000 12,696 natural gas, bringing about significant 674 20,000 9,286 reductions in pollution emissions. 5,039 15,000
• The highest court fine for air pollution in 340 10,000 18,824 16,167 15,077 4,277 Haifa Bay – 1.6 million shekels – was imposed 5,000 5,074 on the Oil Refineries Company, in January 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006. Sulfur Dioxide Emissions (tons) Nitrogen Oxides Emissions (tons) Particulate Emissions (tons)
Courtesy: Israel Electric Corporation Photo: Chagai Shyowitz
Treating life-threatening hotspots • Industrial plants in the Ramat Hovav industrial park began to establish in-house effluent pretreatment facilities in accordance with a government decision. • Agreements were reached to remediate two acidic tar ponds in the Ramat Hovav hazardous waste site as a first step in the Ramat Hovav Hazardous Waste Treatment Site Remediation Project.
Disposal of Asbestos Waste (tons/year) • The government decided to transfer 10 million tons shekels to the Environmental Services Company 25000
21,706 for constructing a stabilization/solidification
20000 facility for inorganic waste treatment in Ramat Hovav. 15000 • The Environment Ministry approved financial grants in the sum of 5 million shekels for cleaning 10000 up, treating and disposing of asbestos waste
5000 from contaminated sites in the Western 3,289 Galilee. 919 0 2002 2003 2004 Catalyzing economic growth and national Preserving open spaces interests through sustainable development • The government decided to establish the Ayalon Metropolitan Park • Government ministries and affiliated agencies in an area spanning 800 hectares around the shut-down Hiriya landfill drafted strategic plans for sustainable and to set up a government company to manage all aspects of development in line with a government the park. decision. • Eight new Israeli sites were declared World Heritage Sites in two • An action plan on energy conservation in all inscriptions: The biblical tels (prehistoric settlement mounds) of sectors was drafted within the framework of Megiddo, Hazor and Beersheba and the Incense Route and Negev Israel’s sustainable development strategy. Nabatean cities of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta. • The process of Local Agenda 21 continued, with • The government unanimously approved the National Master some 40 local authorities taking part. Plan for Planning, Building and Conservation (National Plan 35), • A conference on "The Financial Sector and the which determines areas earmarked for construction and for open Environment," targeted at increasing awareness space. of environmental liability and risk management, • The Ministry of the Environment launched a comprehensive information was convened. campaign to promote cleanliness in public areas, from beaches to • The Securities Authority mandated fair disclosure parks, nature reserves and forests. on environmental matters by publicly traded • Thresholds for urban open space were prepared for urban renewal companies, including information on anticipated plans. environmental costs and investments. • The Ministry of the Environment implemented a procedure on the transfer of environmental What to Clean First? First Priority to Beaches information on publicly traded companies in Beaches 22% 17% order to improve environmental disclosure and Urban Parks 14% 20%
transparency. Community 22% 11%
• The Chief Scientist of the Environment Ministry Neighborhood/Street 10% 10%
issued a call for proposals for research studies Roadsides 8% 10% on the impacts of climate change in Israel and Nature Reserves & Forests 7% 10% means of adaptation. Nine research projects Open Spaces 5% 6% were approved. All to a Similar Degree 12%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Priority 1 Priority 2
Improving environmental services, information and education • An amendment to the Freedom of Information Law relating to environmental information was approved to make such information more accessible to the public through its publication on websites. • The cabinet approved the recommendations of a directors-general committee on a four-track system for licensing cellular antennas in order to increase transparency and reduce exposure to non-ionic radiation. • Environmental support was granted to more than 20 animal welfare organizations. • "Green School" certification was granted to sixteen new schools, in addition to seven schools certified in 2004. • Criteria were developed for certifying "Green Kindergartens," "Green Surfers on Environment Ministry Websites no. of surfers Community Centers" and "Green Campuses." 3500000
3,048,469 • New features were added to the Interactive Map of the Environment 3000000 Ministry's Hebrew website including: information on heritage and 2500000 national sites, 750 archaeological sites, 1000 sites of the Jewish National 2000000 Fund, 500 touring sites and a Green Map of Jerusalem. 1500000 1,266,214 • The Environment Ministry's Hebrew and English website drew 2,141,186 1000000 surfers in 2005 – a 280% increase in comparison to 2004. Over 3 million 540,226 500000 307,064 surfers accessed all of the ministry’s websites in 2005
0 2002 2003 2004 2005
Hebrew & English Site Children's Site Licenses & Permits Site Arabic Site Interactive Map Site Air Quality Site ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Improving the urban environment Israel in an International Context: Conferences, Workshops and Projects in Israel
TA-LUFT Workshop: A German delegation presented the main emission control requirements of TA Luft 2002 during a three-day workshop, organized by the Manufacturers Association of Israel, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense (an NGO) and the Ministry of the Environment. • The Standards Institution of Israel Joint Workshop on Hazardous Waste: Delegates from the German Federal published standards on the energy rating Ministry for the Environment met with representatives of the Ministry for the of apartments in residential buildings and Environment to discuss hazardous waste management, administration, recycling, on buildings with reduced environmental treatment and disposal within the framework of Israel’s preparations to draft impact ("green buildings"). new hazardous waste regulations. • Ten new environmental units were established in local authorities, bringing Workshop on Environmental Policy Integration and SMAP III: the total to 47 units, covering 90% of Representatives of European organizations and countries met with Israel's land area. Israeli experts on mechanisms through which sustainable development • The Knesset enacted the Non-Ionizing goals can be promoted and integrated in different policy areas. Radiation Law to protect the public and the environment from the adverse International Workshop on Promotion of Methyl Bromide Alternatives to impacts of exposure to non-ionizing Comply with its Phase Out: Professionals and decision makers from developing radiation from cellular and radio countries attended the workshop and shared Israel’s experience in finding antennas and electricity installations. alternatives to methyl bromide. The workshop was organized by: the Center for • An amendment to the Licensing of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MASHAV), the Center Businesses Law was approved, requiring for International Agricultural Development Cooperation and the Agricultural the installation of noise meters in Research Organization. discotheques to protect public health. LIFE- Third Countries Projects in Israel: Two projects – sustainable development • An amendment to the Municipalities of the Jordan River (by the Upper Galilee Regional Council) and creation of Ordinance was approved, obligating sustainable communities according to Local Agenda 21 principles (by the the appointment of an environmental Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership) – were approved committee in each local authority. for funding by the European Commission. To date, the EU has co-financed • The Environment Ministry granted ten LIFE projects in Israel, contributing 3 million to the protection of the millions of shekels to local authorities for € environment. environmental projects. Climate Change Impact Research Coordination for a Larger Europe: Israel is one of 17 European countries included in the CIRCLE project, which seeks to contribute to research on means of adapting to the impacts of climate change. BATs/BEPs Mediterranean Action Plan Project: Israel is one of five countries selected to participate in a MAP Regional Activity Center for Cleaner Production project to prepare methodological guidelines for implementing a pollution control system based on Best Available Techniques (BATs) and Best Environmental Practices (BEPs) in non-European Mediterranean countries.
Cellular masts. Photos: Alex Kaplan and Alex Weinreb Preventing marine and water pollution and restoring rivers Clean Coast Project: Facts And Figures
Preventing marine and water pollution and restoring rivers
Reducing air pollution from transportation and industrial sources Acre coast. Photo: Ilan Malester
Treating Measuring the results of the "Clean Coast" project municipal, industrial and M agricultural Aim of the Project: Cleaning up Israel’s open, Participants: Ministry of the Environment, local waste undeclared beaches – with no lifeguards and authorities, Nature and Parks Authority and no swimming – and keeping them clean. the public. A special cadre of trained "Coast Watch" volunteers takes part in enforcement Catalyzing Length of Undeclared Coastline: About 125 and information activities. economic kilometers along the Mediterranean and Red growth and national Sea coasts. Cleanliness Indicators: Clean Coast Index, based on the number of plastic pieces left on interests Cost: Three million shekels a year for a three-year the beach. period, with joint financing by the Ministry of the Environment (70%) and local authorities (30%). Results: Half of the beaches showed Improving the improvements six months after the initiation of Method: The environmental problem solving environment the project, in comparison to the baseline index approach to identify the problem, analyze it and and preseving of June 2005. open spaces find ways to "fix" it. Publicity: Updated information on each beach Components: Cleanups by local authorities, is available in Hebrew on the website of the information and publicity, enforcement and Ministry of the Environment. education. Developing tools for
improving Clean Coast Index 2005 - Naharia & Kiryat Yam clean coast index 18 Clean Coast Index 2005 service and 14 16 professionalism Dirty 12 Dirty 14
12 10
Moderate 10 8
Naharia 8 Kiryat Yam Moderate 6 6
4 4 Clean Clean 2 Very Clean 2 Very Clean 0 0 1/6/05 29/6/05 27/7/05 24/8/05 21/9/05 19/10/05 16/11/05 14/12/05 1/6/05 4/7/05 1/8/05 23/6/05 11/7/05 18/7/05 26/7/05 15/8/05 30/8/05 14/9/05 30/9/05 11/10/05 30/10/05 13/11/05 28/11/05 12/12/05 26/12/05 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Clean Coast Index Clean Coast Index The Ministry of the Environment publishes "Clean Coast" Project Very Clean Base Index: June 2005 up-to-date information on the cleanliness Clean level of undeclared beaches along the Moderate Mediterranean and Red Sea coastlines. An Dirty interactive map in Hebrew on the ministry’s Extremely Dirty website presents bimonthly information on No Data every undeclared beach using different Updated: January 23, 2006 colored flags: Gulf of Eilat Gulf of Eilat • White flag - very clean • Blue flag - clean • Orange flag - moderate cleanliness • Red flag - dirty • Black flag - extremely dirty By clicking on a flag, the surfer also accesses an ID card about the beach, including photos and information on coastal length, general description, ecological assets, Interactive Map http://gis.sviva.gov.il Data: Marine and Coastal access and more. Environment Division On The Clean Coast Project Rani Amir
Director, Marine and do something about the litter left behind by the Within six Coastal Environment public and about the litter that is washed ashore. Division We concluded that we had to initiate a project months 54% which, among other things, would ensure that we of Israel’s clean up our coastlines in the same way that we undeclared Why did the Ministry of the clean up our homes – all the time! Environment decide to coastline The Ministry of the Environment initiated launch the Clean Coast coastal cleanups before. How is this campaign measured Project? different? "clean" to We came up with the idea for the project a few We were looking for a comprehensive solution to years ago, in 2002, when we realized that no one "very clean" the problem. Therefore, we decided to implement was taking responsibility for the litter problem the environmental problem solving approach and 50% was along the Mediterranean coastline. It’s as if we (EPS – based on guidelines developed by Prof. cleaner than were sucked into a vacuum where no one else Malcolm Sparrow of Harvard University) to identify was doing anything. While coastal cleanups are in June 2005 the problem, analyze it and tailor a measurable the responsibility of municipalities and the Ministry solution to it. We began by identifying the result of the Interior, we could not stand idly by and watch while litter continued to accumulate on our coastline. We also knew that litter on the coast originates from two sides – the marine side and the land side. We recognized that we could not control the litter that is deposited on the coast from the open sea – it is simply not feasible – but we could Photos: Ronen Alkalay and Ilan Malester Preventing marine and water pollution We must and restoring rivers clean up our coastlines in that we wanted to achieve – clean the same way the project is largely implemented by coasts – and then came up with a the educational centers of the Nature method to measure this. In the past, our we clean up and Parks Authority, which invest major cleanup campaigns were sporadic. our homes resources in educating the younger This time, we carefully analyzed what – all the time! generation about the importance of needed to be done. We realized that coastal protection in all aspects. Preventing the public is simply not interested in how many The third pillar is communication and information. marine and bags of garbage or how many tons of garbage We launched a public campaign – whose motto water pollution and restoring are collected during cleanup campaigns. What may be loosely translated as "Going for a Clean rivers is important to the public is the bottom line: the Coast" (literally Walking on a Clean Coast). To cleanliness of the beach – c’est tout! Around this assimilate the message, we funded public service desired outcome, we crafted a solution. announcements on television and radio, paid for advertisements in the media, and hired a Reducing air The problem solving approach requires pollution from media consultant. We also made sure that there measurable results. How do you measure the transportation was a major presence of Marine and Coastal success of the project? and industrial Environment Division and Nature and Parks sources We developed an objective and measurable Authority inspectors on the coasts during seven formula, a clean coast index, to tell us whether summer weekends in order to explain the goal of the coast is clean or dirty. Since we knew that the project to the public and to distribute garbage the main component of waste on the coast is Treating bags. Shirts and Frisbees were given to members plastic, which constitutes at least 80% of all waste municipal, of the public who displayed environmentally industrial and on the shoreline, we used plastic as a cleanliness responsible behavior. agricultural indicator. We based our index on the number of We also trained a special group of volunteers to waste individual plastic pieces – from bottle cap size to participate in our efforts. This group of 35 sea- larger items – on a given stretch of undeclared loving, environment-oriented volunteers, known as beach. We then scored each beach based on Catalyzing the "Coast Watch," has proved extremely effective: economic the number of plastic pieces found. For example, meeting with beach-goers, patiently explaining growth and a score of less than 5 means a "very clean" beach; the importance of beach cleanliness, and taking national a score of 10-20 means a "dirty" beach. interests part in cleanliness assessments. I believe they We continuously follow up on the cleanliness have a high potential to increase social and level because beach conditions are dynamic community involvement and awareness. and litter is transported from beach to beach The fourth pillar is enforcement. Both the Ministry Improving the and from sea to beach. The idea is to remain of the Environment and the Nature and Parks environment updated and to inform the public. Therefore, the and preseving Authority take action against individuals who litter clean coast index is published on our website. The open spaces the beach and against local authorities which do results are updated bimonthly and are open and not clean their beaches. transparent to all. What are the results in the field? What are the main components of the project? To date, 21 local authorities, including Eilat, The first pillar of the project is local authority Developing are implementing the project. We initiated tools for responsibility. Local authorities are legally bound improving to clean up beaches in their jurisdiction and do service and this for their declared beaches. However, since professionalism we knew that financial difficulties hampered their ability to continuously clean up and maintain their undeclared beaches, we decided to participate in the project. The second pillar is long-term education. Our goal is to educate the next generation – youth groups, soldiers and schoolchildren. This part of Cleaning Eilat’s beach. Photo: Keren Mizrachi 10 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Zohar Shkalim On The Environmental Problem Solving Approach enforcement measures against those municipalities that initially opted not to join Director, Enforcement Coordination Division and not to clean. For example, Acre, which was originally reluctant to join the project, The Enforcement Coordination Division is responsible, made major progress when it was served with among other things, for integrating the environmental a warning prior to a cleanup decree from problem solving approach into selected projects in the the Ministry of the Environment. In almost no Ministry of the Environment. One of these – collecting used time at all, its cleanliness index went up from oil filters from garages for recycling – has already met with "extremely dirty" to "clean" or "very clean." major success. We managed to increase the number of On the last week of January 2006, the index garages which collect used oil filters from a few dozen to 1,300 and the number showed that 54% of our open, undeclared of oil filters which are annually collected from 14,000 to 1.5 million. coastline measures "clean" to "very clean," Today, we are expanding the approach to other projects, including minimization of and 50% of the coastline is cleaner than it brine discharge into the environment from such sectors as hospitals and the food was at the beginning of the project in June industry and safe disposal and treatment of construction and demolition waste. 2005. The brine project should help solve the problem of sewage salination in Israel where What are your major conclusions and effluent recovery for agricultural purposes is so important, while the construction expectations? waste project should facilitate a solution to one of the country’s most widespread The clean coast index confirms the volatile solid waste problems - improper disposal of construction waste. condition of our beaches, which can change Yet, without doubt, our greatest success is the clean coast project. We chose to overnight, as substantial quantities of litter concentrate on the litter problem on our beaches for two interrelated reasons: First, wash up from the sea. This reinforces the we recognized that our coastline, which includes wide stretches of undeclared need for continuous cleanups and visibly beaches, is a public resource which must be accessible and attractive to all sectors demonstrates the fact that the environment of the population. Second, we realized that previous coastal cleanups simply did knows no borders. not make a long-term difference in the cleanliness level of our beaches. If we are to guarantee a clean and open coastline over time, we cannot afford to stop In examining the problem, we discovered that local authorities would not – or cleaning and, at the same time, we need could not – take sole responsibility for cleaning up undeclared beaches within to continue our educational work, public their jurisdiction. Rather than taking an antagonistic or an adversarial approach, campaigns and enforcement. Since coastal we opted to "push" local authorities into accepting their responsibility by offering to cleanups are not our direct responsibility, I fund 70% of the cleanup costs – but with a string attached: that beach cleanups hope that within two to three years, the will be thorough, methodical and frequent. cleanliness message will infiltrate, so that the By working with the stakeholders rather than against them, we achieved very momentum will continue. At that time we encouraging results. Most of the coastal local authorities have joined the project would like to see the Ministry of the Interior, and, as demonstrated by the clean coast index, the cleanliness level has definitely other relevant ministries and especially improved in comparison to the baseline index. However, we did send warnings local authorities take responsibility for the to six municipalities and issued cleanup orders to two local authorities – Acre and continuation of the project. Kiryat Yam. The results were not long in coming. Acre, for example, took its beach My vision is simple: if everyone just takes cleanup so seriously that its index went up to "clean" and "very clean" in almost care of their own litter and if municipalities no time at all. acknowledge their responsibility, the beach litter problem will drastically lessen, or even Finally, we closed the circle with a massive information campaign in the media disappear. I would also like to convey and information and education weekdays on the beaches, with the aid of marine the message to the other parties to the inspectors and a volunteer "Coast Watch." Barcelona Convention that the simultaneous Not only did these integrated activities make a real difference in the cleanliness launching of this program or one similar to it level of our open beaches, but, even more importantly, local authorities began to throughout the Mediterranean basin would recognize their responsibility for keeping their undeclared beaches clean, something contribute most significantly to solving the which was far from self-evident at the beginning of the project. We hope to see litter problem. the same level of cooperation in 2006 as we did in 2005. 11 Reducing air pollution from transportation and industrial sources Regulating The Electricity Sector
Preventing Fuel combustion for electricity Yet negotiations between the marine and How to prevent air generation has long been stakeholders have been long and water pollution pollution from power and restoring targeted as a major polluter in hard. In 1999, some headway was rivers Israel. It is responsible for about plants? Regulations made when an agreement was 50% of the country’s air pollution, recently drafted by reached between the Ministry with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen the Ministry of the of the Environment, Ministry of Reducing air oxides and particulates the Environment are Infrastructures and Israel Electric pollution from major culprits. That’s not to say expected to provide Corporation (known as the transportation that the electricity sector has Goren-Brovender Agreement) and industrial the ministry with gone unsupervised. Pollutant on principles, conditions and sources effective control emissions from the country’s requirements for existing and and enforcement power plants are regulated planned power units which would under a number of statutory mechanisms, on the one remain in effect until regulations Treating instruments: hand, while providing are promulgated. municipal, • Administrative orders (personal electricity producers industrial and The agreement related to decrees) under the Abatement and decision makers agricultural fuel quality in power stations, waste of Nuisances Law. with clear requirements reduction targets according to • Conditions for the prevention on air pollution standards and timetables, and of air pollution under the abatement from pollution abatement measures. Catalyzing Businesses Licensing Law. economic electricity production • Nuisance prevention plans In parallel, efforts continued growth and units, on the other hand. national for coal-fired power plants to draft regulations based on interests and gas turbines under the the proposal for an updated Planning and Building Law. European Directive on the limitation of emissions of certain Today, following a decade pollutants into the air from large Improving the of work, yet another legal environment combustion plants. instrument is nearing fruition: the and preseving open spaces Ministry of the Environment has However, objections by the completed to draft air pollution Ministries of Finance and of abatement regulations which Hadera power plant. Photo: Ilan Malester Infrastructures and by the Israel are specifically targeted at the electricity Electric Corporation, largely based on financial sector. and reliability of supply considerations, hampered Developing progress. When European Directive 2001/80/EC, a tools for Moving from Negotiations to Agreements much more comprehensive and stringent directive improving The Ministry of the Environment is convinced that service and than its 1988 predecessor, was finalized, it was regulations on air pollution abatement from the professionalism decided that Israel's new regulations should be electricity sector will benefit all stakeholders. They based on it. will provide the Ministry of the Environment with effective control and enforcement mechanisms, Milestones Toward Implementation on the one hand, while providing electricity While the promulgation of the regulations is not yet producers and decision makers with clear in sight, important progress has nevertheless been requirements so as to reduce uncertainties and made. Two precedent-setting developments are promote long-range planning, on the other hand. worthy of special mention. 12 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 The price A Look at the Proposed Regulations Public hearing on the emission tag for fauna - are by no means low. Using standards: For the first time ever, compliance calculations made by the European The draft Abatement of a public hearing on proposed Union for the external costs of pollutant Nuisances Regulations (Pre- regulations was held in September with the emissions (in terms of dollar per ton vention of Air Pollution 2005. During the hearing, the Ministry proposed of pollutant emitted) in different from Electricity Production) of the Environment presented the new regulations is countries, an initial estimate of the are largely based on the standards to all relevant stakeholders, external costs of pollutant emissions European Directive of 2001, including representatives of the Ministry estimated at from different power plants was with some modifications of Infrastructure, Ministry of Finance, $1.4 billion made in Israel. While the calculation to suit conditions in Israel, Electricity Authority, Israel Electric for each country differs based on especially with regard to Corporation, Ministry of Health, Ministry of the economic indicators, Israel used the numbers existing power plants. Interior, regional associations of towns for the adopted for Greece as initial indicators. The Objective: To prevent and environment and municipal environmental units, result in terms of dollars per ton of pollutant minimize considerable or Manufacturers Association of Israel and green emitted is: $9500 per ton of particulate emissions, unreasonable air pollution, organizations including Life and Environment and $2400 for nitrogen oxides, $3190 for sulfur oxides defined as pollutant emiss- the Israel Union for Environmental Defense. Based and $7 for carbon monoxide. Based on these ions exceeding permissible on the comments, final adaptations were made figures, the external cost, in terms of cents per emission limit values accord- in the regulations prior to their transfer to the kilowatt hour produced, was calculated for ing to type of electricity Ministry of Justice. different power plants in Israel. production unit and type of Cost estimates of pollution prevention: In Today, the Public Utilities Authority – Electricity fuel, from power generation accordance with a Ministry of Infrastructure (Electricity Authority), an independent body units. request, the Israel Electric Corporation prepared responsible for overseeing the electricity sector, Power generation units an analysis of the economic costs of implementing along with the Ministry of the Environment, covered: Steam-powered the regulations. The report reviews the potential is planning a cost/benefit analysis of the power plants, both coal- impacts of implementing the regulations, under implementation of the draft regulations, in fired and fuel-oil fired, gas different scenarios and timetables, on cost of order to check cost to the economy, cost of turbines, combined cycle electricity, reliability of supply and environmental alternative measures, impact on electricity tariffs power units and diesel performance. Calculations were based on three and external costs. This will be the first time that generators, whose rated factors: estimates of investment, maintenance decision making on pollution reduction will be thermal input is not less and operation of pollution reduction measures; made on the basis of cost/benefit analysis. than 50 MW and which additional cost for each kilowatt hour of electricity are licensed for electricity On the Way to Implementation which is produced and sold; and estimated production. incremental cost of pollutant reduction per Today, all stakeholders are convinced that the ton. proposed regulations are important and vital Required measures: Best to determine clear environmental rules for the Available Techniques, energy The Environment Ministry estimates that full long-term planning and operation of power efficiency and approved implementation of the proposed regulations will plants in Israel. Yet, as evidenced by the IEC standard fuels. lead to a 60% reduction in sulfur dioxide and report, the price tag for implementation of the nitrogen oxides emissions and more than a 10% Monitoring requirements: European Directive is high and problems in the decrease in particulate emissions. The price tag Continuous monitoring in reliability of supply are anticipated in most of for compliance with the proposed regulations is most cases. the scenarios. Nevertheless, it is expected that estimated at $1.4 billion. once the cost-benefit analysis is in, answers will Requirements for existing be more readily available. and new plants: Different Putting a Dollar Sign on Pollutant Emissions requirements for existing While the Electric Corporation report places a There is no doubt that the emission levels set in (operational since 1998) and high price tag on air pollution prevention, the the proposed regulations will come into effect. new plants. More stringent marginal external costs of pollutant emissions - in The only questions left to answer are when and requirements may be set terms of estimated costs of morbidity, mortality, at what price. Hopefully, these answers will be within the framework of property damage and damage to flora and forthcoming in 2006. other legislation. 13 Reducing air pollution from transportation and industrial sources
Dr. Eugenia Bernshtein On Energy Energy Sources Coordinator
Does Israel have unique conditions power plants, including a switch to natural which affect air pollution? gas in generating stations and compliance Preventing with existing and new regulations. However, marine and Israel is one of the densest countries in water pollution the world in terms of both population we must introduce energy conservation as and restoring and land area. If pollutant emissions per well. It is estimated that it is possible to save rivers capita in Israel are considered high, they some 20% of energy consumption in different are even higher when calculated in terms sectors. of emissions per square kilometer. Reducing air In addition, Israel is characterized by some features What has been done in the field of renewable energy? pollution from that are pertinent to developing countries and transportation others that are relevant to developed countries. Israel was the first country worldwide to introduce and industrial solar collectors in residential buildings for heating sources For example, the birth rate in Israel is much higher than in developed countries, but the water, but we have since lagged behind. On the standard of living is characteristic of developed positive side, there is a government decision from countries. This is reflected, among other things, November 2002 which states that beginning in Treating by growing demands for electrical appliances 2007, at least 2% of the electricity supplied to municipal, consumers should be from renewable energy industrial and such as air conditioners. In addition, Israel’s energy agricultural efficiency is lower than in developed countries. sources, with an additional one percent increase waste This combination of factors translates into high every three years. demands for electricity, inefficient energy use There are plans for a 50 MW wind farm in Ramat and air pollution. Sirin and Ma’ale Gilboa in the north of Israel Catalyzing and a 100 MW solar station in the south of the economic In addition, it is important to remember that Israel, growth and unlike European states for example, is an isolated country. national island in terms of its electricity network. This requires In addition, an interministerial committee, in which interests us to preserve a sufficient production capacity to the Ministry of the Environment participated, has respond to peak demands in winter or summer. determined the external costs of pollution. On the basis of these calculations, the Electricity Why did Israel choose to base its emission Improving the standards for power plants on European Authority decided in early 2004 to set tariffs for environment Directives? the production of energy from renewable sources, and preseving We chose the European Directive because it which will take account of the cost of pollution open spaces presents "balanced" requirements which are emissions. Today, the Electricity Authority is giving well researched and accepted in the European premiums to about ten producers of clean Community. The guidelines set minimum energy, including wind, sun and water energy. requirements for compliance in all states, while The Electricity Authority also provides bi-directional Developing allowing countries the option of adopting more meters, which bring about electricity savings to tools for stringent standards. These requirements are grid-connected renewable energy systems. improving appropriate for Israel because they are based service and What would you like to see in the future? professionalism on pollution prevention technologies which are available worldwide and are applicable to We have to move from economic and supply-side Israel. considerations, such as the building and operation of more power plants, to Integrated Resource What else does the Ministry of the Environment Planning, which is based on demand-side options advocate in order to achieve sustainable as well. Under IRP, measures to reduce demand energy production? through energy efficiency and conservation Israel has to promote and implement a combination would be considered on an equal economic of actions in order to reduce air pollution from footing with new proposals for power plants. 14 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Aharon Sahar On The Electricity Sector Environmental Policy and Master Plan Manager, Israel Electric Corporation
What is the position of Israel Electric to negligible levels. We plan to reach The introduction Corporation on the proposed pollution about 50% natural gas use by the end of abatement regulations for the electricity the decade. of natural gas sector? to the electricity What are the plans of the Electric Corporation The regulations will go a long way toward for its other power plants? sector will promoting long-term planning. It is very Plans are being implemented to establish important to ensure a degree of certainty have dramatic combined cycle gas turbines and to convert about future requirements as a basis for some of our existing gas turbines to natural gas, consequences planning. The new regulations, which will compile rather than diesel gas, by 2007. We have also on pollution all of the requirements in one place, are the right launched a pollutant reduction program in our thing to do from everyone’s point of view. abatement from coal-fired plants which will require temporary unit How is the Electric Corporation now addressing shutdown in order to introduce new technologies, the electricity the problems associated with pollutant emissions while maintaining electricity production. We are sector from power plants? now preparing a tender for the implementation of We have long cooperated with the Ministry of primary measures for nitrogen oxides reductions, the Environment on efforts to reduce pollutant similar to Low NOx Burners (LNB). This, along with emissions. The results are evident. Despite the installation of scrubbers, is required by the major increases in electricity production, we proposed regulations. are seeing a trend of pollution reduction. This is Electricity Generation System of the Electric Corporation largely attributed to the introduction of cleaner fuels and more advanced pollution abatement technologies. In fact, all of our new production units comply with the new standards included in the proposed regulations. What is the Electric Corporation doing to reduce emissions from existing oil-powered plants? We are implementing a pollution abatement program to enable our existing large oil-fired power plants in Ashdod, Haifa and Tel Aviv to switch to natural gas. In addition, we have reduced nitrogen oxides emissions significantly, and more reductions are on the way. In our Ashdod power plant, where natural gas was introduced in 2004, we are seeing drastic reductions in emissions. Existing small and old oil-fired plants will gradually be shut down by the end of 2008. The introduction of natural gas to the electricity sector is an ambitious and unprecedented project which is now underway. It will have dramatic consequences on pollution abatement from the electricity sector. This cannot be overemphasized. It will lead to steep reductions in sulfur dioxide and particulate emissions – reducing concentrations
Courtesy of Israel Electric Corporation 15 Reducing air pollution from transportation and industrial sources
Air Quality In Israel: 2005 Data on air pollution in Israel in 2005, based on the Ministry of the Environment’s 24-station national monitoring system, shows improvements in air quality in Jerusalem, Beersheba, Afula, Beit Shemesh, Rehovot, Karmiel and Modi’in, in comparison to 2004. This is attributed to actions taken by the Ministry Preventing of the Environment, in cooperation with other bodies, and to favorable pollution dispersion atmospheric marine and water pollution conditions. Environmental activities include improvements in fuel quality, increased enforcement and restoring against polluting plants, economic incentives for environment-friendly cars, technological measures rivers for reducing emissions in industry and diesel-powered vehicles, enforcement of vehicular emissions standards and promotion of old vehicle scrapping.
Following is a look at some Reducing air of the data: pollution from Air Quality Maps: 2004 transportation • Tel Aviv: 65 high air and industrial pollution days in the Tel sources Aviv metropolitan area, similar to 2004 (but with a slight decrease in annual Treating averages of nitrogen municipal, oxides). industrial and agricultural • Jerusalem: 52 high air waste pollution days compared to 55 in 2004.
Catalyzing • Beersheba: 10 high economic pollution days compared growth and to 15 in 2004. national interests • Afula: 4 high pollution days compared to 14 in 2004. Improving the • Beit Shemesh: 8 high environment and preseving pollution days compared open spaces to 14 in 2004. • Rehovot: 8 high pollution days compared to 10 in 2004. Developing • Karmiel: 7 high pollution tools for improving days compared to 16 in service and 2004. professionalism • Modi'in: 20 high pollution days compared to 24 in 2004 (but with the highest concentrations of respirable particles resulting from accelerated building and quarrying). 16 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 DR. CHAVA PERETZ ON AIR QUALITY TRENDS
The Ministry of the Environment publishes 1999 and 2004 was uniform. We also checked monthly and annual summaries of air the correlation between pollution levels in pollution in different regions of the country. the different stations. Why is a statistical study of air pollution trends necessary? What were the major conclusions of the We are bombarded with large amounts of study? data all the time and with lots of numbers. We found that there was a significant trend What we need is a simple summary of of reduction in nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, these numbers and the ability to draw Dr. Chava Peretz, and carbon monoxide levels but an increase an environmental sensible conclusions. Statistical analysis in ozone in relation to base year 1999. As for health and air allows us to do just this: to present large pollution bio- particulates, we did not find a clear trend of amounts of data in a simpler form and statistician in Tel increase or decrease for PM10 but we did to infer trends. Mathematical models are Aviv and Haifa find a slight increase for PM2.5, considered used to neutralize different factors which Universities, to be the most hazardous of air pollutants investigated air may affect the results so that we can arrive pollution trends to human health. at a more accurate picture of air quality from 1999-2004 In checking the relationship between NO, on behalf of the trends. This allows us to ascertain whether NO2 and NOx, a high correlation was found efforts to reduce air pollution are fruitful. Ministry of the between NO and NO and NOx, as expected. Environment. The 2 A medium correlation was found between Which statistical methods did you use to study, completed PM10 and PM2.5. A weak correlation was determine air pollution trends in recent in December 2005, looks at air quality found between particulate levels and other years? trends in the Tel pollutants. SO was weakly correlated with The seven monitoring stations of the 2 Aviv metropolitan CO and NOx. CO was highly correlated with Ministry of the Environment in the Tel Aviv area for eight NOx. There was no correlation between O region were our data sources. We then major air pollutants 3 and SO , NOx and CO. used two statistical methods: descriptive and assesses trends 2 on the basis of statistics and inferential statistics. statistical models. In the first, we described pollution As one concerned about the environment trends, based on time series, by and as a resident, what do you think means of summary measurements, should be done in light of the results? means, medians and 95 percentiles. This study indicates that the most We used box plots to check extreme problematic pollutants are PM2.5 and values from a statistical point of PM10. Steps should be accelerated view as well as annual trends and to bring about a decrease in these prepared smoothed graphs to show pollutants. Once intervention is the daily trends of each pollutant implemented, a statistical assessment in a time series. Hadera power plant. Photo: Ilan Malester should be undertaken once again. The second method was inferential I should also mention that at about statistics which is based on models of the same time that the study was linear regression in which we checked the effect of the published, a seminar on air pollution in Tel Aviv took year, adjusted for day, month, temperature and relative place. During the course of the seminar, on December humidity. We wanted to find out whether there was a 19, 2005, the heads of local authorities in the Tel Aviv difference between the years studied and whether metropolitan area signed a covenant on the reduction there was a yearly linear effect, and if so, how it was of air pollution in their region. These and other initiatives manifested and whether the rate of decrease between are certainly positive developments.
17 Treating municipal, industrial and agricultural waste Risk Management – Confronting The Preventing marine and water pollution and restoring Challenge rivers How to identify industrial installations that may have a severe impact on the environment? How Hto prevent accidental releases of hazardous substances from stationary sources that could be Reducing air harmful to humans and the environment? How to reduce the adverse impacts of those releases pollution from that do occur? A new guidebook on risk management from stationary sources in industry, transportation which addresses hazardous substances accidents, sets out to answer these critical questions. and industrial sources Risk assessments are not new on Israel’s environmental scene. Accident in Acre plant. Photo: Medvey Feldman They may be required within the Treating framework of special conditions to municipal, Poisons Permits under the Hazardous industrial and agricultural Substances Law. What’s more, Israel waste has kept abreast of international developments in this area. In fact, Ms. Sigal Blumenfeld, a staffer at Catalyzing the Ministry of the Environment’s economic growth and northern region, took part in the national drafting group for the OECD Guiding interests Principles for Chemical Accidents, Prevention, Preparedness and Response, published in 2003. Yet, Improving the up till now, Israel did not have a environment uniform policy on how risk assessments should be hazardous substances and processes, to upgrade and preseving conducted, there was no differentiation between industrial preparedness for preventing hazardous open spaces high-risk installations and low-risk installations, substance accidents, to minimize their impacts there were no uniform requirements for different should they occur, and to institute uniform factories, and risk assessments did not focus on the requirements applying to all factories using ultimate goal: risk prevention and reduction. regulated hazardous substances. Developing To overcome these shortcomings, the Ministry tools for A Guide for Action: On the Road Toward improving of the Environment initiated a risk management Implementation service and project in 2001 aimed at determining a uniform Today, four years later, an important milestone professionalism policy on the scenarios, methodologies and has been reached: A Guide on Risk Management plans which are intrinsic to risk management from Stationary Sources in Relation to Hazardous schemes. The mega goal was to prevent risks from Substances Incidents was published in November accidental releases of hazardous substances from 2005. The Hebrew guidebook, prepared by industrial sources and to minimize their impacts a professional team within the Ministry of the on the human and physical environment. More Environment in cooperation with a consulting specifically, the idea was to focus on the most company (Hazmat Ltd.), is largely based on the 18 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Primary Goals of the Risk Management Guide The main aims of the guide, which is accessible on the Hebrew website of the Ministry of the Environment, are to: • An integrated risk prevention program; • Formulate a risk management • An emergency response program. policy. • Define hazardous substances and The risk management plan also includes an specify their threshold quantities. executive summary which is to include the • Set guidelines for risk management following elements: policy for accident prevention of existing (rather than planned) and emergency response, description of the sources. stationary source and hazardous substances used, • Develop methods for supervising and description of worst case and alternative scenarios assessing the implementation of risk including control and mitigation measures, management. general program for accident prevention and The risk • Attain maximum clarity on risk prevention measures for specific substances, five- management. management year accident history, emergency procedure and • Achieve transparency and public process should survey of proposed changes to improve safety. participation in risk management. facilitate USEPA’s Risk Management Program (RNP) and the What’s Covered? efficient California Accidental Release model (CalARP), Supervised industries: Any premise subject to a management but with adaptations to legal conditions, tools Poisons Permit under the Hazardous Substances in three major and materials in Israel. Law for a regulated substance, which appears in areas: risk The preparation process for the guide was fully the list of especially toxic or flammable substances transparent and was based, as far as possible, above a certain threshold level, is required to management on consensus building among the different prepare a risk management plan. policy, stakeholders. Findings and recommendations Regulated substances: Any material which implementation were presented to a risk assessment forum, appears in the list of especially toxic or flammable which was especially created by the Ministry of substances. The guide specifies 182 regulated of risk the Environment, and included representatives of substances. assessment the Ministries of Labor and Welfare, Interior and Infrastructure, Firefighting Service, Homeland Covered processes: Any activity which relates and measures Security, Manufacturers Association of Israel, to the use, storage, production and treatment to reduce risks environmental units in local authorities and "Life of regulated substances above the defined from industrial and Environment" (an NGO). threshold level. sources The risk management process sets out to Classification of covered processes: To ensure that facilitate efficient management by government individual processes are subject to requirements and industrial bodies in three major areas: risk that suit their size and potential risk level, the guide management policy; implementation of risk classifies them into three programs – from 1to assessment and measures to reduce risks from 3, where 1 is based on minimum requirements industrial sources. and 3 on maximum requirements. For example, program 1 requirements would apply to processes Major Elements in the Risk Management in which a hazardous substance accident has not Process occurred over the past five years and for which The proposed risk management plan includes, a worst-case scenario of hazardous substance inter alia, the following elements: release is not expected to affect the public. • An offsite consequence analysis that evaluates These processes are only required to prepare specific potential release scenarios, including an emergency procedure which is coordinated worst-case and alternative scenarios; with the relevant authorities. On the other hand, • A five-year history of accidental releases program 3 requirements apply to processes of regulated substances from the covered with a real potential for offsite consequences processes; associated with the worst-case scenario and/or 19 Treating municipal, industrial and agricultural waste
Risks Covered by the Guide • Risks to the environment: Including risks to the population, both residing and temporarily occupying the vicinity of the stationary sources (excluding employees Preventing within the framework of their work) and Emergency response Hazmat Treatment Vehicle marine and risks to natural resources, such as land and water pollution and restoring water sources onsite or offsite. rivers • Risks from an accident: Defined as an seismic risk was uniformly taken into consideration uncontrolled release, fire or explosion of due to its importance on the national agenda. a substance which is hazardous to public From Guide to Action Reducing air health and/or the environment. pollution from • Risks from stationary industrial sources According to Michal Bar-Tov, head of the transportation involving hazardous substances: Including Hazardous Substances Division of the Environment and industrial buildings, structures, equipment, installations Ministry, the idea is to transfer responsibility for risk sources or any other stationary activity which management to the industrial sector itself, which may result in the accidental release of a after all is the most knowledgeable about specific regulated hazardous substance. processes in the factory and is therefore best Treating suited to identify the most dangerous processes municipal, and to reduce risks. "We want the industrial plant industrial and with an accident history whose materials appear to recognize the risks and prioritize them, and then agricultural in the table of regulated substances and exceed to allocate resources to the most serious risks or to waste the threshold levels defined for program 3. These the most problematic impacts", says Bar-Tov. processes are required to address all of the Catalyzing components of the risk management plan. Since the goal of the guide is also to prevent and economic minimize future risks, guidelines for assimilating risk growth and What Next? considerations in the planning process in Israel national Publication of the guide is by no means an end, are also on the agenda. The idea is to formulate interests but rather a beginning. The success of the project a better methodology at the planning level for will be measured by its implementation in practice. approving residential development in the vicinity In order to help answer the question of how best to of hazardous industrial plants, on the one hand, Improving the implement the new risk management approach, and for approving such industrial plants in the environment Haifa Chemicals, a major producer and marketer vicinity of population centers, on the other. and preseving of specialty fertilizers and chemicals for industry, open spaces Once the results of the pilot projects, scheduled undertook to test the CalARP process as early for implementation over an 18-month period, are as 2002. in, the efficacy of the risk management process The Ministry of the Environment has now initiated will be reevaluated and further adaptations will Developing a wider pilot study to test the feasibility and be made. However, the benefits for both industry tools for applicability of the guidebook and the need for and the Ministry of the Environment are already improving further adaptations. To help launch the pilot project, evident: industry now has the tools to improve service and staffers at the regional level of the Environment its risk management and the Ministry of the professionalism Ministry identified some2 0 industrial plants, a few Environment has the tools to improve its supervision in each region of the country, for participation. and oversight. Perhaps most importantly, the Criteria for selection were not uniform and differed project has helped the ministry consolidate a from region to region according to the discretion comprehensive policy which takes account of the individual director - whether proximity to a of all potential risks to the human and natural populated area or presence of very hazardous environment, from health to economics, from substances or results of risk assessments. Only transparency to inspection. 20 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Amiad Alexandron On Risk Management VP, North Site, Haifa Chemicals
When and why did Haifa Chemicals Haifa Chemicals is a leading main importers of ammonia into the initiate the pilot study on risk developer, producer and country, we were well aware of the risks management? marketer of specialty fertilizers associated with this material. In fact, in In December 2002, a major fire broke and chemicals for industry. accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of the Environment we had out in Haifa Chemicals, which resulted Its main facility is in Haifa in in property damage but thankfully already reduced some of the risks by the north of the country. The not in human injury. Nevertheless, we decreasing our ammonia inventory from plant was the first in Israel to realized that there were gaps in our risk three storage tanks of 600 tons each – or initiate a risk management management program. At the time, a total of 1800 tons – to a tenth of this sum, the Ministry of the Environment initiated pilot project based on the or 180 tons in one storage tank. We then the preparation of a risk management California Accidental Release switched to two smaller storage tanks of program. When the ministry asked us model (CalARP). 55 tons each. The CalARP project led to undertake a pilot project to test the Israel Environment Bulletin to a complete change in our ammonia CalARP model, we complied. spoke to Mr. Amiad storage arrangements. Today, our Alexandron in November 2005 ammonia reserves are stored in storage What was the first step in implementing about the pilot project. tanks which are fully protected (without the project? pressure) in the terminal. With the services of a consultant, we mapped the different processes and hazardous substances Were you pleased with the results of the pilot project? in the plant according to the categories and list of regulated At the beginning of the project, we checked each and substances of the CalARP. This helped us prioritize the risks in every element in our facility. This was no small matter our facility. By following the logical process which was laid and cost a lot of money - $500,000, much more than out in the CalARP, we were able to focus on the main risks, originally planned. However, we are not sorry. What we whose impact may extend beyond the factory fence. spent in resources, we gained in safety. CalARP allowed us to proceed logically and systematically while taking Did Haifa Chemicals make any changes in light of the everything into account – from seismic risks to natural results of the process? disasters. As soon as one operates according to a list of priorities I need to emphasize that the CalARP process is not a and tools, real problems begin to surface. As a result of magic wand. It requires a lot of work, a lot of resources, the mapping process, we discovered that one of the but in return, it will help create an organizational culture materials we were using was classified on the CalARP – a culture which I consider to be extremely important. list as a relatively high risk material. At the time, we did Haifa Chemicals has definitely profited from instituting a not know that this material was riskier than some of the better method of work, which is safer, more systematic other materials we were using. As soon as I was appointed and more efficient. manager of the site in October 2004, I implemented the decision to take this material out of use and to introduce What are your initial conclusions as you near the completion another process. of the pilot study? For me, the environment has a value beyond Can you point to any other results of the process? manufacturing. It is a matter of culture. I have come During the pilot project, we appointed many teams to out of the process strengthened in my feeling that our identify and classify different hazardous processes within employees are now better protected. The value of human our factory, one of which was ammonia storage. As the life is inestimable. We can now be assured that anyone who enters the factory will be able to leave without fear of injury. This is our most important achievement. Moreover, the safety measures we introduced relate not only to the plant itself, but also to the people who work with us and to the surrounding environment. I can definitely say that despite the high investment, implementation of the model turned out to be a "win-win" situation. I credit the Ministry of the Environment with leading the way and providing the necessary professional guidance throughout Photo: Haifa Chemicals the process. 21 Catalyzing economic growth Onwadsand national towards interests cleaner coasts Confronting The Dead Sea Dilemma Preventing marine and water pollution and restoring Water levels in the Dead Sea have rivers dropped to 418 meters below sea level and continue to drop. What to expect? What to do? A new document Reducing air Wprovides initial answers pollution from transportation and industrial sources The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, is option - the scenario that predicts what is likely to shrinking. Water levels in this saltiest of the earth’s occur in the Dead Sea and its surroundings if no lakes, have declined dramatically and hazardous steps are taken to stop water level declines. Treating sinkholes have begun to appear along its basin. To municipal, address these issues, a government decision was The report points out that hundreds of sinkholes industrial and taken in January 2003 to prepare an integrated have been exposed as a result of the Dead agricultural plan on the future of the Dead Sea and its Sea’s retreating water line from the approximate waste drainage basin. –400 meter topographic contour downward. This phenomenon is a safety risk as well as an Catalyzing The mandate was to focus on the environmental, economic problem, since it has halted future economic economic, legal and social impacts of declining development and has put some existing growth and Dead Sea levels, recommend measures to stabilize development at risk. Furthermore, since these national processes and propose steps to facilitate the conditions will be relevant for the foreseeable interests harnessing of the region’s potential. Three future planning horizon, new development strategies scenarios were to be assessed: a business as usual should be pursued. At the same time, trend-turning or default option in which the negative recharge steps should be examined in order to formulate Improving the rate in the basin would continue, a scenario of a long-term integrated and sustainable national environment and preseving restoration of freshwater flow to the Dead Sea policy for the Dead Sea. open spaces from the Jordan River system and a scenario that would see the construction of a seawater conduit Confronting the Uncertainty from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. In order to minimize the uncertainties and provide for the further safe development of the region, the The Default Option Developing editors of the report identified and mapped areas tools for The first phase of the document on the "Dead where substrate failure is anticipated at various improving Sea and its Drainage Basin: Assessment of Status levels of certainty as well as areas of stable and service and and Policy Guidelines under Continued Negative safe substrate where development can proceed professionalism Water Balance of the Lake" sets out to confront without restrictions. This does much to dispel the the uncertainties arising from dropping lake uncertainty which has accompanied the decline levels and emerging sinkholes. Prepared by the of lake water. Ministry of the Environment in cooperation with the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies and the On the basis of these in-depth studies, the policy Geological Survey of Israel, it relates to the future document presents a multidisciplinary perspective of the Dead Sea and its basin under the default and a well-grounded forecast of the future of 22 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 The policy document presents a multidisciplinary the Dead Sea and its shores, which "constitutes about 200 years at a level of about a basis for formulating a policy of management 550 meters below mean sea level. perspective and and development that meets the changing • Dropping lake levels will lead to a well-grounded conditions, and can enable ongoing activity changes in the location of the forecast of the future and development of the region’s potential." The future shoreline and the physical of the Dead Sea and its shores
Dead Sea sinkholes and views. Photos: Eli Raz report also includes a list of recommendations for conditions along the coasts. These implementation by specific bodies. For example: changes will impact on the stability planning agencies should use sinkhole and of infrastructures and may impact on subsidence maps as a basis for issuing planning structures, roads, bridges, agricultural and building permits; the Geological Survey of areas, engineering works, and Israel should continue to monitor changes in the more. Pinpointing the Risks: What Do physical infrastructure and to routinely update • Dropping lake levels will be the Maps Show? the maps; and a new regional master plan should accompanied by shoreline retreat • Location of the likely future be prepared for the western shores of the Dead and increasing distances between shorelines in space and in Sea which will adopt a new planning approach, the lake and tourism sites and access time. based on anticipated dynamic changes. roads. This issue should be addressed • Subsidence and sinkhole in order to allow visitors to continue prone areas: active sinkhole Main Conclusions to enjoy safe access to the sea. sites, areas in which there • The default option will be relevant to the • Dropping lake levels may lead to a is a potential for sinkholes, foreseeable planning horizon (at least 20-40 reduction in biodiversity, changes in areas in which the possibility years), but, at the same time, trend-turning steps migration patterns and damage to of sinkholes cannot be ruled should be examined, in order to formulate a unique local ecosystems. out, and areas in which long-term integrated and sustainable national sinkholes are not expected policy. Will the Document Make a to develop. • The negative water balance of the Dead Sea Difference? • Exposure of mud flats, steep will not improve in the foreseeable future. Water It is widely agreed that the Dead Sea is slopes and regions prone to levels will continue to drop at a rate of one one of Israel’s most important resources landslides and mudslides. meter per year or more - dropping to about – a foremost industrial base and a • Accelerated undercutting 440 m below sea level in 2025 and -465 m by top-priority tourist site, both nationally and deepening of the creeks, 2050. and internationally. Publication of the which threaten to damage • Even after implementation of a remedial first phase of the policy document roads, bridges and other program (e.g., building a sea conduit or restoring has helped eliminate some of the infrastructure. the natural inflow), raising the lake from 435-440 uncertainty concerning the future of • Potential damage to the meters below sea level to any target level will the Dead Sea and its environs while stability of natural water be a lengthy process. opening up new possibilities for creative pools, such as Einot-Zukim, • The Dead Sea will not disappear even if no solutions and innovative measures Kaneh and Samar. measures are taken to change the negative water which would allow the area to meet • Potential loss of underground balance. It is likely to reach a stable situation in its promise and potential. water storage capacity. 23 Catalyzing economic growth and national interests
Galit Cohen On The Dead Sea Head, Unit for Environmental Policy
Preventing marine and water pollution What catalyzed the initiative to Ministry of Infrastructure, especially with and restoring prepare a policy document on the rivers regard to the appearance of sinkholes. future of the Dead Sea? On the other side, the Jerusalem Institute This goes back about five years. At the for Israel Studies, through its Israeli time, two opposing initiatives were on Environmental Policy Center, contributed Reducing air the table: First, an initiative, promoted pollution from its expertise in policy making. With joint funding, transportation by Friends of the Earth Middle East, to register the we were able to come out with a multidisciplinary and industrial entire Dead Sea Basin as a Biosphere Reserve. policy document. sources Second, plans for accelerated development, especially thousands of new hotel rooms in the What is unique about the project? Ein Gedi area. This was the first time that everything related to Treating the future development of the Dead Sea area municipal, Yet, at this very time, we were seeing extreme was considered – physical phenomena, ecology, industrial and physical changes in the area: the appearance economic significance, cost/benefit, legal and agricultural of sinkholes, extreme reactions of river flow and waste planning impacts. This multidisciplinary approach undercutting with damage to infrastructure. We was made possible through the cooperation of realized that these physical processes had to be five teams, each with expertise in a different Catalyzing taken into account in the planning process for aspect. economic the future development of the Dead Sea area. growth and We also realized that the geological processes What was the conclusion of the first document national that were taking place were complex and that on what will happen to the lake under a interests scenario of no change in the deficient water a major study would have to be taken in order budget? to come up with an integrated and sustainable The main conclusion is that nothing will change policy for the area. Improving the in the next 20 to 40 years. We now know that environment What did the Ministry of the Environment do? whatever the government decides, it will take at and preseving least ten years until the first drop of water begins open spaces We recognized that we must link physical to flow into the Dead Sea and another ten years processes with plans, science with decision- until the water level stabilizes. By then, the water making. We therefore sought the cooperation level will have dropped by at least another 20 of experts in the field, especially from the Ministry meters. And this is the optimistic forecast! of Infrastructure which has the necessary research Developing institutions, including the Geological Survey. We tools for We have to be realistic. Over the next 20 to 40 also organized seminars to find out what was improving years, more sinkholes will be exposed, infrastructure service and happening and what to anticipate. Thus, the professionalism national policy for the Dead Sea area was based on two approaches. On the one side, the basis for the paper was the scientific research – both geological and geophysical studies – done by the
Dead Sea sinkholes and views. Photos: Eli Raz
24 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Dead Sea sinkholes and views. Photos: Eli Raz will be damaged, water levels will continue to drop master plan for the Dead Sea which will relate and the ecosystem will continue to be affected. to the new conditions. On the other hand, we also know that the Dead We must ensure that the policy document won’t Sea will not disappear, but will rather decrease remain on the shelf but will be implemented. The to two-thirds of its current size and stabilize there. document includes specific recommendations Therefore, we need to reexamine the existing about what each ministry should do – for example infrastructure in its entirety, from roads to hotels, for the Ministry of the Interior to prepare a master and to formulate and implement a new master plan or for the Nature and Parks Authority to plan which will take account of the drastic assess impacts on biodiversity. changes in the area. We would like to see a government decision on We now know which areas are safe for further the subject which would set up an interministerial development and which appear destined for committee, responsible for Israel’s preparedness As a country, future damage. We must act accordingly. Thus, to confront the changes in the Dead Sea for a for example, a major plan for tourism in the Ein we have to minimum of 20 years. Gedi area, which was once on the agenda, is take decisions no longer relevant. What is the situation of the existing hotels today to along the Dead Sea? prevent At the same time, we must begin to carefully The document mostly relates to the northern examine the two options which have been basin of the Dead Sea. The southern basin, where damage proposed to stem the continuing decline in the the hotels are concentrated, is made up of the tomorrow Dead Sea – construction of a canal from the Red industrial pools of the Dead Sea where processes Sea to the Dead Sea or restoration of freshwater are totally different. In fact, we are seeing an flow from the Jordan River into the Dead Sea. increase in water level of 20 cm each year as a result of the evaporation process and the sinking Is the policy document being taken into account? of the salt. We have to recognize the reality, no matter how As the bottom rises, so does the water level, difficult or sad. We have to look squarely in the which in turn requires the hotels to raise the mirror and deal with what we see. This means that height of the dikes which protect the pools as a country, we have to take decisions today to every few years. prevent damage tomorrow. The time has come for a long-range solution We need a new planning approach based on to the problem and this should be done under the realization that we cannot build and develop the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism. Several in the sinkhole area. Linear planning along the solutions, all very expensive, are being assessed, Dead Sea shore is no longer appropriate. The including the building of a wall inside the ponds so National Planning and Building Board accepted as to create a large lagoon in front of the hotels the recommendation of the team for a new where the water level could be controlled. 25 Improving the urban environment and preseving open spaces
AsbestosAlex Use in Israel: Kaplan 1950s-1990s On Local Environmental Units
Preventing marine and What were Head of Project and the supervision of a national water pollution the major Environmental Units Division coordinator in Jerusalem. How- and restoring environmental ever, their budgetary allocations rivers achievements Local environmental are divided between the ministry of 2005 on the units play a critical role in local front? and local authorities. The rate of advancing environmental support is determined according In 2005, former issues on the municipal Reducing air to objective criteria and varies pollution from Minister of the Environment level and serve as the between 50% for new and small transportation Shalom Simhon spearheaded a local arm of the Ministry units to 10% in older, established and industrial major change in priorities which of the Environment. The sources units. saw a dramatic growth in the Environment Ministry is ministry’s budgetary allocation professionally responsible What do environmental units to local environmental units. for the operation of 47 deal with? Treating At the beginning of 2005, local environmental units, The units are responsible for municipal, environmental units covered regional environmental industrial and environmental activities and 50% of Israel’s geographic area units and associations agricultural services, including, among others, and 70% of the population. Today of towns for the waste industrial inspection and business environmental units cover 90% environment, eight of licensing, environmental planning, of the land area and provide which serve the Arab treatment of noise nuisances, Catalyzing environmental services to 85% of sector. recycling, environmental educat- economic the population. growth and ion, pest control and agro- national How many new units were established in 2005? ecology. Some are also responsible for air pollution interests monitoring systems or wastewater treatment We issued a call for proposals which invited systems. Over the years, authority for additional local authorities to join an existing local unit subjects has gradually been transferred to local or to establish a new unit made up of several units, including incorporating environmental Improving the neighboring local authorities with our funding. As conditions in business licenses of C-level businesses environment a result, 10 new units were set up in 2005. They and preseving (classified as lower pollution risk level plants) and include six new units in the north of the country, open spaces granting Poisons Permits to premises dealing with a new unit in the Shoham area in the central hazardous substances. Recently, responsibility region, a new unit in the Givataim area in the for the Reading Power Plant in Tel Aviv was also Tel Aviv region and two new units in the south transferred to the relevant local unit. including one in the vicinity of Beersheba which Developing We are convinced that local authorities are serves the Bedouin sector. We also provided these tools for better equipped to respond to local problems improving new units with a one-time grant for the purchase since they are closer to them, more familiar with service and of dedicated equipment for soil sampling, noise them, and as a result, more concerned about professionalism and radiation monitoring and more. them. By providing financial assistance to local How does the Ministry of the Environment units, everyone wins - the Environment Ministry, the support these units? local authority and the residents themselves. All of the environmental units, old and new, are professionally guided by the directors of the For more about the local environment, see Environment Ministry's regional offices under p. 31. 26 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 From Att. Haim Soundproofing Schools Corfu Chairman, Public Committee on Acoustic For A Sound Education Protection of Schools, Ben-Gurion Airport Holon, Rishon LeZion, Beit Dagan, Or Yehuda and the decided to determine priorities for The acoustic protection project in villages of Emek Lod differ in their socio-economic acoustic treatment on the basis schools around Ben-Gurion Airport status, but youngsters in these communities of speech intelligibility criteria, an was exceedingly successful. It helped surrounding Ben-Gurion Airport have one thing in objective index that takes account foster a special harmony among all common: They have all benefited from a unique of the number of students in the class stakeholders, including the schools and project to soundproof schools and kindergartens in and the number of minutes in which the communities. Over the past four order to provide the children of these communities speech intelligibility is impaired due years, we managed to treat just about with a sound learning environment. to aircraft noise. all of the schools and kindergartens and even a few others which did not appear Initiation of the Project Implementation in the Field on the original map of noise-impacted The statutory master plan for Ben-Gurion Airport, The IAA along with the relevant areas. Israel’s major airport, calls on the Israel Airport local authorities funded the project, Authority (IAA) to provide acoustic protection taking into consideration the socio- In addition to its financial support for to residents and to assist local authorities in the economic status of each locality. acoustic protection and the general noise-impacted area. Accordingly, a special Thus, while the norm for funding was refurbishment of classrooms and public committee was set up to implement the set as 70% by the IAA and 30% by playgrounds, the Airports Authority is also environmental provisions of the master plan and local authorities, in reality, the IAA implementing an educational program to determine eligibility for acoustic protection in covered 85% of the cost of the in schools around the airport which residential buildings. In addition, the IAA initiated, project in Beit Dagan, 90% in Or focuses on such subjects as aviation, with the assistance of the Ministry of the Environment, Yehuda and 95% in the Emek Lod environmental quality and sustainable a plan to provide acoustic treatment to educational communities. development. institutions in the noise-impacted area.
Criteria for Eligibility To determine eligibility, a public committee was set up, headed by Att. Haim Corfu, who served as the Minister of Transport at the time, and including the Educational project on aviation and directors general of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry environment. Photo: Israel Airports of the Environment and the IAA. The committee Authority.
Population Exposed to Noise from Ben-Gurion Airport percent Facts and Figures 4% • Acoustic protection of educational institutions in the noise-impacted area 3%
of Ben Gurion Airport encompassed 23 schools and 77 kindergartens. 3%
• The Israel Airports Authority allocated 28.3 million shekels for acoustic 2%
protection to educational institutes and another 1.5 million for upgrading 2% schoolyards and playgrounds (about $6.5 million). 1%
• The project included installation of new windows, acoustic ceilings and 1% air conditioners. 0% 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 >60 dBA >65 dBA >70 dBA 27 Developing tools for improving service and professionalism Base Station Antennas And The Precautionary Principle Preventing marine and In the summer of 2005, in response masts in urban areas and water pollution to growing public concern about Some 6.9 Israelis have about 7 encouraging the construction and restoring the construction of base stations million cell phones - one of the of small and relatively more rivers in the vicinity of residential areas highest rates of cell phones densely distributed cellular and public institutions, Israel’s per capita in the world. At base stations, which emit lower Minister of the Interior submitted the same time, the duration radiation levels. Reducing air a proposal to the government on of cell phone conversations pollution from • To encourage local authorities in Israel is also the longest transportation an amendment to the national to act, as much as possible, and industrial master plan on small broad- in the world. Yet, although according to the model sources casting facilities (known as Plan Israelis are totally dependent proposed by the municipality 36/A). The amendment called on their cell phones for instant of Modi’in for integrating a for broadening the discretion communications – anytime, larger number of small cellular of local planning committees in anywhere – they adamantly Treating base stations in the existing municipal, the planning process for cellular oppose the establishment urban infrastructure, in order industrial and base stations, increasing public of cellular antennas. What to reduce exposure levels. agricultural notification and participation to do? A directors-general waste • To establish a four-track licensing and requiring cellular companies committee makes some method to replace the current to compensate local authorities recommendations. licensing system which is uniform for accepted indemnity claims Catalyzing for all base stations. The four- economic for reduced property values track system – red, orange, growth and due to base stations. The yellow and green - would be national government, in turn, decided to interests based on base station type, size, postpone a final decision on the radiation level and impact on amendment until the results of environment and landscape. a specially appointed directors- Improving the general committee will be in. The • To establish procedures for environment mandate of the committee: to notifying the public about and preseving the proposed construction open spaces find ways to provide countrywide coverage while taking into of cellular base stations and account radiation safety, to enable its participation in minimization of landscape planning processes. blight and efficient licensing. In • To broaden the discretion Developing December 2005, the government of the local authority in the tools for improving approved the recommendations Cellular masts and antennas. Photos: planning process for cellular service and of the committee, which were Alex Kaplan and Lior Elovitch base stations, especially for professionalism based on the implementation of the precautionary base stations with high radiation emissions which principle. also have a significant impact on landscape and Recommendations: Implementation of the the environment. Precautionary Principle • To establish an indemnification mechanism for • To adopt the principles underlying the amendment reduced property value based on the involvement to the master plan, aimed at reducing the and discretion of the local authority in the planning number of ground-based and roof-based tall process. 28 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Cellular antenna in Modi'in Photo: Alex Weinreb
Four Licensing Tracks for Base Station Antennas
Red Track – For ground-based masts or roof-based masts which are taller than 3.5 meters in urban building areas.
Orange Track – For roof-based masts less than 3.5 meters and ground-based masts and roof- based masts taller than 3.5 meters in open spaces, industrial areas and interurban roads.
Yellow Track – For mast plans which On Cellular Antennas In Modi’in are prepared in cooperation with the local authority and integrated Alex Weinreb in the urban infrastructure (also known as "the Modi’in model"). How and why did Modi’in get involved in the base station antenna issue? Green Track – For specifically Modi’in was first populated in 1996 and was declared a defined small antennas. municipality in 2001. Its skyline is beautiful and a municipal bylaw prohibits television antennas on rooftops or Guidelines on distribution, local aboveground electric poles. Yet, there are 15 giant cellular authority discretion, indemnification antennas around the town, 13 of them illegal since they mechanism and public notification Deputy Mayor of were not granted a building permit. When the new city procedure are included in each Modi’in, in charge administration was voted in two years ago, we set out to track, with licensing procedures of environment put the environment high on our list of priorities and to find for large base stations stricter than solutions to the general confusion which characterized the those for small stations. Mr. Alex Weinreb antenna issue. initiated the cellular antenna The report of the directors-general committee on siting plan, also known base station antennas relates to the Modi’in model. Can The Modi’in as the Modi’in you describe this model? model, in The model is meant to provide maximum reception with model is conjunction with minimum radiation. It calls for eliminating the existing large meant to the engineering antennas, except for those at the city outskirts, and for provide division and the installing antennas in specially-designed lampposts, similar to those used today. The masts will only be 16 meters high maximum legal counsel of (not 36 or 46 meters as is the case today) and people will reception Modi’in and with know exactly where they are located since they will be the backing of clearly delineated on an interactive map available on the with minimum the mayor. municipality’s website. This is a "win-win" situation. radiation 29 Green All Over: From Kindergarten To University
The Success Of The "Green School" Project, Initiated In 2002 Continues To Elicit Major Interest Throughout Israel
The idea of a "Green School" was first introduced joined the process, of which 23 have already been to Israel some four years ago during the country’s certified. Interest levels have grown significantly preparations for the Johannesburg World Summit as evidenced by the number of applications to on Sustainable Development. The rationale was join the process in 2005: 170 applications were to promote sustainable development, inculcate received by the Ministry of the Environment, of environmental values and foster environmental which 101 were approved! activism – all by means of the personal example of the school itself. Green all Over In light of the immense success of the project, The Green School Process: Three Steps plans are currently being advanced to "green" Toward Certification other areas. Steering committees have therefore In order to help schools progress toward set criteria for Green Kindergartens, Green sustainability, the steering committee for the Green Community Centers and Green Campuses. School process, composed of representatives Green Community Center: A pilot project on of the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Green Community Centers was initiated in 2005 Education and Society for the Protection of and seven Green Community Centers were Nature in Israel, drew up guidelines and criteria recently certified. for certification. Schools are only approved for the Day-to-day process if they meet the following three criteria: Green Campus: The Green Campus project 1. Integration of environmental subjects in the was initiated by a steering committee including activity can curriculum representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, make a real 2. Rational use of resources the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 3. Contribution to the community Haifa University, Tel Hai College and the Council difference in the for Higher Education in Israel. quality of the The three-pronged process is designed to encourage schools, with the cooperation of environment in administration, students, parents and community, which we live not just to teach environmental subjects but to act in a sustainable manner. Only those schools which fulfill the goals listed in each of the three categories are eligible for Green School certification. Although the incorporation of sustainable practices within the school carries its own rewards, schools that are accredited are awarded with special certificates and a monetary prize of between NIS 5,000-10,000 per school.
To date, about 130 primary and intermediate schools – spanning different geographical locations and population sectors in Israel - have
Alon Karmiel Green School 30 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 Green Projects. Photo: Roi Simcha
From representatives of the Environment Ministry in Encouraging Local Authorities the Green School steering committee: to Go Green
Ms. Zivit Linder, Deputy Director of the Education and Information Tens of millions of shekels were allocated to local Division: This is a wonderful project. It brings much more than formal authorities and to municipal units in 2005 to help environmental education to the classroom. Through the project, the promote environmental projects in the following environment becomes something concrete. Youngsters begin to areas: understand the impacts of throwing a plastic bag, letting a faucet • Enhancing capacity to deal with hazardous drip, keeping lights on in unoccupied rooms. They are provided substances accidents. with the necessary tools to collect environmental data, to decide • Establishing infrastructure for construction and how to improve the environment, to take concrete action, and demolition waste. to measure progress. It is of utmost importance to let children see, • Promoting bicycle paths. physically, how their actions affect the life cycle so that they realize • Cleaning up and disposing of asbestos waste that they can make a difference in the quality of their environment from contaminated sites in the Western as participating citizens in the democratic process. The goal of Galilee. environmental education is to ensure that today’s youth will be • Planning, establishing and operating urban exposed to environmental issues so that by the time they reach recycling centers and collecting beverage adulthood each and every one of their decisions and actions will containers of 1.5 liters and more for recycling. take the environment into account. • Preventing and treating pest nuisances to assure public health. Dr. Dorit Baum, Educational Coordinator of the Haifa District: The • Establishing or renovating municipal animal Green School project has been a huge success. The idea is to shelters have the school serve as a personal example of sustainability. • Promoting sustainable development activities Through the project, environmental subjects are included in the within schools, with emphasis on biodiversity, curriculum, environmental actions become daily actions at the environmental planning and industry and the level of both school and community and environmental values are environment. instilled in the students. The success of the project encouraged us • Promoting educational programs on the Deposit to expand it to other areas, including Green Community Center, Law and on recycling. Green Kindergarten and Green Campus. This way we will be able to increase the circle of people who are affected by the project and In addition, over the past few years, some 40 local we will be able to encourage activism on behalf of the environment authorities, including 16 regional councils in the at all levels. north and south of the country, have initiated Local Agenda 21 processes. A three-year LIFE Dr. Motti Sela, Director of the Industry and Business Licensing Division: Third countries project on capacity building for We are in the midst of a new revolution in green thinking. We have creating sustainable communities, based on broadened the "green" concept from products to services so that it training, planning, legislation and administrative will encompass the entire educational system and the community. networking, was initiated by the Heschel Center The idea is infectious; it has a snowball effect. It is very exciting to for Environmental Learning and Leadership in see the projects come to fruition, to witness the commitment of 2006. the participants and to celebrate with the winning schools. All of the new projects which are now being planned have a common denominator and are based on education, community involvement and rational use of resources, but with modifications for different age groups. As far as I am concerned, this is our future. This is how we can leave our stamp. Park in Shoham. Photo: Judy Elispor 31 Greening The Israel Defense Forces
"I have no doubt that an army that thinks On February 26, 2006, at an army base in central Israel, environmental awards were granted "green" is a more to army units, soldiers and commanders of the Israel Defense Forces. Although this was the efficient army, a wiser third annual ceremony, it was accompanied for the first time by an exhibition of2 0 winning photographs on the subject of "The IDF and the Environment." army, a healthier The 2005 IDF environmental competition brought to the fore a world of innovative technologies, army and one that activities and ideas in areas as diverse as waste recycling, energy, fuel and water savings, and best fulfills its mission - enhanced appearance of army bases. In reviewing the projects, the selection committee, protecting the country made up of representatives of the Ministry of the Environment and the IDF, noted the clear link between environmental investments, nuisance prevention and added benefits such and its residents and as resource conservation, improved organizational culture and efficiency, unit pride and protecting natural creativity and even financial savings. resources and the Winners were divided into four categories: Environment Minister’s Awards, Certificates of Commendations and Certificates of Appreciation to excelling army units and Personal landscape. Imparting Awards to individuals for promoting environmental projects. Following are the first place values that take winners: into account the Environment Minister’s Award – First Place Ammunition Center: The center developed and constructed an industrial installation environment in which which allows for the environmentally friendly disposal of ammunition which is designated we live will assure, for scrapping through its dismantling into metal components and recycling.
at the end of the IDF Fuel Supply Center: This center submitted three projects: collection of used oil filters day, a better and from army units, conversion of water heating systems from diesel oil to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and development of a mobile surface for gas stations that allows fueling in the healthier society and field without risk of leakage. a better quality of the Haifa Naval Base: The base established a special unit for preventing marine pollution by environment for us and oil or fuel, with dedicated equipment for combating oil pollution. The unit undertakes for future generations." joint exercises with the Marine and Coastal Environment Division of the Ministry of the Environment. Photos: Environmental projects by the Israel Defense Forces Minister of the Environment Gideon Ezra at the third
annual Israel Defense Forces environmental awards ceremony 32 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 IDF Photography Competition
More than 130 photographs by IDF soldiers were submitted to the first photographic competition on "The IDF and the Environment." The aim of the competition was to increase environmental awareness among soldiers, even during their army service, with the aid of the camera lens. The winning 20 photos were displayed for all to see during the IDF award ceremony. The Winners: • First Prize: Dror Nush of the Israel Air Force Artillery School - "Balance of Terror"
• Second Prize: Yossef Saadon of the Parachutes Unit - "My Intimate Room"
• Third Prize: Meytal Nissim of the Ofek Unit - "Nature and Us"
1 > Dror Nush
3 > Maytal Nissim 2 > Yossef Saadon 33 Environmental Legislation
Non-Ionizing Radiation Law, to flow into the sea waste or sewage from a land- 2006 based source, either directly or indirectly, save Publication of the Non-Ionizing Radiation under a permit and according to its conditions; Law in the official government gazette provided that a permit shall not be granted to types (Reshumot) on January 1, 2006 marked of waste or sewage forbidden by regulations…" an important breakthrough in the The purpose of the amendment is to facilitate regulation of radiation sources in Israel. effective enforcement against all polluters of the The "framework law" aims to protect the sea, without regard to intent or purpose, including public and the environment from the those that unintentionally discharge wastewater harmful impacts of exposure to non- to the sea, due to negligence or indifference. ionizing radiation, including radiation from cellular base stations (antennas) and Additional changes to the existing legislation electricity network installations. It regulates include: substantially higher fine levels; additional the establishment and operation of non- fines which reflect the benefit which accrued to ionizing radiation sources and the provision the polluter from non-compliance with the law; of radiation measurement services, inter decrees to prevent, minimize or stop the pollution, alia, by determining prohibitions and obligations in clean up the area and restore previous conditions; accordance with the precautionary principle. and potential fees for marine pollution prevention to be imposed on permit holders and paid to the More specifically, the law prohibits the construction Prevention of Sea Pollution Fund. and operation of a radiation source or the provision of a radiation service without the relevant permit Amendment to the Freedom of from the Ministry of the Environment: construction Information Law (Environmental permit, operation permit or service provision Information), 2005 permit. It then stipulates conditions for granting The 2005 amendment to the Freedom of each of these permits, including measures to Information Law specifically relates to the limit human and environmental exposure to publication of environmental information with the anticipated radiation and measurements, "relevance to public health, including data on both prior to and after the operation of the substances that are emitted, spilled, discharged radiation source, by professionally trained and or released to the environment and the results licensed service providers. In addition, the law of measurements of noise, odors and radiation, sets prohibitions, requirements and instructions on not on private property." The objective is to make environmental information which exists in Eilat’s beach. inspection, enforcement, penalties and fees. Photo: Dalit government agencies more accessible, through Ehrlich its publication on websites and by other means, Prevention of Sea Pollution and to do away with the need for applications from Land-Based Sources Law, and fees. (Amendment no. 2), 2005 An amendment to Israel’s Land-Based Declaration on National Parks, Sources Law, enacted in June 2005, aims Nature Reserves, National Sites and to strengthen the law and bring it into line Memorial Sites (Protected Natural Assets), 2005 with the amended Land-Based Protocol of the Barcelona Convention. The amended The new declaration updates the initial list of law reads: "No person shall dump or cause protected natural assets which was published in 34 ISRAEL ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN vol. 30 1979. Scientists in the Nature and Parks Authority environment and to sustainable in cooperation with academic experts prepared development, setting municipal the updated list on the basis of many years of environmental and sustainable scientific surveys and research, including the development policy and information compiled for Israel’s Red Data Book supervising the implementation of approved on Vertebrates and its Red List of wild plants. The plans. entire Red List of endangered plants in Israel – some 400 plants – has been added to the new Water Regulations (Prevention of declaration. The list is based on five major criteria: Water Pollution) (Fuel Pipelines), 2006 rarity, extinction rate and habitat vulnerability, The Minister of the Environment, in consultation attractivity, endemism and peripherality. Some with the Minister of Health and the Water Council plants, which were originally included in the list, and with the approval of the Knesset Economic were excluded from the new declaration when it Committee, promulgated regulations on the was discovered that they exist in sites throughout prevention of water pollution from fuel pipelines the country. in February 2006. The purpose of the regulations is to reduce potential risks from fuel transport Amendment to the Licensing of pipelines, thereby preventing environmental Businesses Law (Restricting Noise degradation and pollution of water sources. Levels from Entertainment Halls and The regulations set provisions for constructing, Gardens and Discotheques), 2005 operating, maintaining, inspecting and testing An amendment to the Licensing of Businesses fuel pipelines, impose reporting obligations in Law, approved in December 2005, adds case of leaks, and call for measures to stop and discotheques to a 2002 amendment on limiting repair the damage caused to the environment noise from entertainment halls and gardens in as a result of such leaks. order to protect public health. According to the amendment, licenses or temporary permits The regulations require the following, inter alia: will not be granted to entertainment halls and • Informing the official appointed by the gardens and to discotheques if a noise monitor Environment Minister and the Water is not installed. Noise monitors measure the noise Commissioner about the submission of pipeline intensity, give a warning when noise levels exceed installation plans to planning agencies, including permitted levels and cut the electricity supply their exact location. to amplifiers if the warning is not heeded after a • Ensuring that the process of installing and defined time period. Maximum noise levels and operating fuel pipelines does not cause water duration of the alert are to be determined by the or soil pollution. Minister of the Environment in regulations. • Adhering to procedures and standards for the construction and operation of fuel pipelines, Amendment to the Municipalities which include safety factors such as depth of Ordinance (Environmental cover and minimum distances from water lines, Committee), 2005 cathodic protection, and leak control systems An amendment to the Municipalities Ordinance, (Computational Pipeline Monitoring). promulgated in February 2005, requires municipal • Undertaking piping leak tests, continuous councils to appoint a statutory environmental measurements and record keeping. committee with the following responsibilities: • In case of leaks, taking measures to stop the initiating and planning actions related to the leak and report the event. 35 Meytal Nissim, Third Prize Winner of IDF Environmental Photography Competition.