Carmel Chemicals Ltd. in Atlit, south of Haifa, has failed a Ministry of Environmental Protection review, which found that the factory has continued to emit a carcinogen, formaldehyde, into the air in violation of a court order. The ministry therefore did not reissue the factory's permit to deal with hazardous substances, and the plant was shut down.
Carmel Chemicals and its subsidiaries produces resins, thermostatic coatings, and plastic media blast (PMB) - plastic particles used for the paint, stripping and surface cleaning of soft and delicate substrates.
Carmel Chemicals is owned by Gil Dankner. Earlier this week, the company's management sent all 150 employees on forced, unpaid, and unlimited leave in what appears to be an attempt at pressuring the Ministry of Environmental Protection. As far as management is concerned, if there is no permit there will be no work, and the ministry will be responsible.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection said in response, "We are concerned about people's livelihoods, but our job is first and foremost to protect the public against serious environmental hazards that jeopardize lives."
Carmel Chemicals claims that the Ministry of Environmental Protection is persecuting the company, and that the test results are wrong.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 3, 2009
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