Energy infrastructure companies are causing severe environmental damage, and the state authorities are doing almost nothing to prevent it, states State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg is a report published today.
The report covers Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), Oil Refineries, Petroleum and Energy Infrastructures, Carmel Olefins and Pi Glilot. The report cites the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of National Infrastructures as the main agencies that failed to fulfill their supervision and enforcement duties.
The State Comptroller report reveals that many energy infrastructure installations in Israel operate without a business license, despite a court ruling. Among other things, government ministries have ignored a court ruling from eight years ago that an underground fuel pipeline requires a license.
In unusually harsh language, Goldberg wrote, "The authorities must finally act to formulate clear policies for the pipeline, initiate appropriate legislative amendments where necessary, and carry out energetic and determined enforcement."
Goldberg also called on the Ministry of the Environment and local authorities to increase their enforcement activities for energy infrastructures, to prevent the neglect of environmental hazards. He also revealed that municipal environmental enforcement agencies did not supervise energy companies, even though they were explicitly established for this purpose.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on August 17, 2004