Yesterday Beirut tomorrow Haifa Bay

Haifa Photo: Tamar Matsafi
Haifa Photo: Tamar Matsafi

With 800 hazardous materials stored in Haifa Bay, concerns are raised that Israel could see a similar catastrophe to Beirut.

The circumstances surrounding the catastrophic explosion in Beirut on Tuesday are still unclear but it seems like thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate were not stored properly. Others believe that a chain reaction began with a fire in a fuel storage facility.

While the Lebanese capital looks like a war zone, residents of Haifa Bay to the south are wondering whether they could suffer a similar fate. For many years experts have been warning that the large amounts of hazardous materials stored in Haifa Bay, where hundreds of thousands of people live, could lead to a tragedy of calamitous proportions.

Dr. Revital Goldschmidt of the Environmental Research Center in Haifa said, "On Tuesday we sat at home in the evening and heard the explosions in Beirut just 200 kilometers from us as the crow flies, and we were given a chilling illustration of the horrific scenario that could easily happen here."

She added, "The residents of Haifa Bay are living on a barrel of explosives. Government reports have determined that there is a definite risk because of the concentration of industries with inflammble and explosive materials near the population centers of Haifa. We call on the Israeli government to make an urgent decision to remove the dangerous industries from the bay."

A year ago the Ministry for Environmental Protection published for public comments a survey of the dangers present in Haifa Bay. According to the survey, there are 1,500 dangerous points in Haifa Bay where 800 hazardous materials are stored. The survey's conclusions after receiving public remarks have yet to be published.

"The regrettable incident in Beirut Port exposes the big dangers trhat exist in storing hazardous materials in a port," says Prof. Adi Wolfson of the Sami Shamoon College of Engineering in Beersheva. "There is no doubt that the more storage facilities and industrial plants that are concentrated in one place, as in Haifa Bay or the northern industrial zone of Ashdod, then the potential for a hazardous materials event following an accident, sabotage or attack is great. Thus the destruction that took place in Beirut requires the State to immediately prepare an examination of all the existing dangers in these regions and to act immediately to reduce them."

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 5, 2020 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2020

Haifa Photo: Tamar Matsafi
Haifa Photo: Tamar Matsafi
Jacob Nagel credit: GPO Nagel C'ttee calls for higher defense budget, avoids financing issue

The committee's recommendation of a NIS 133 billion force building supplement over a decade is less than the army's minimum demand.

Palram becomes most valuable kibbutz company

Over the past year the Ramat Yohanan-based plastics company has risen 132% in value.

Long term rentals in Tel Kabir Tel Aviv credit: Shlomi Yosef Gov't plans for long-term rentals fall far short

Ten years ago the government set out to transform Israel's long-term rental market. Since then only 5,000 apartments have been built.

Samir Khosla  credit: Morag Bitan Samir Khosla: Israel rivals India in over-regulation

Indian manpower corporation Dynamic Staffing Services chairman Samir Khosla describes the highs and lows of supplying workers to Israel's war-hit construction industry.

Villa Sherover credit: Nimrod Levi Yoma Architects Jerusalem records Israel's most expensive housing deals

"Globes" lists the most expensive housing deals in 2024 in Israel's ten biggest cities.

General Sir Nick Carter on a visit to 10 Downing Street  credit: Reuters/WIktor Szymanowicz "We've all gained from Israel's experience"

General Sir Nick Carter, former UK Chief of the Defence Staff, talks to "Globes" about current conflicts, the role of technology, and Israel's contribution to Western military doctrine.

Crater from missile hit in Jaffa  credit: Reuters/Mostafa Alkharouf Houthis threaten independently of Iran

Iran may not have complete control of its Yemeni client, which continues to fire at Israel and international shipping.

Ehud Barak and Ehud Schneorson credit: PR and Eyal Izhar How virtuous is Paragon on privacy?

Cyberattack company Paragon, which if sold for $900 million will make former Prime Minister Ehud Barak a handsome profit, claims to have developed ethical spyware, while upsetting the IDF 8200 unit.

Mobileye founder and CEO Amnon Shashua   credit: Mobileye Mobileye benefits from new push on autonomous cars

The Israeli company sees its autonomous systems being adopted in the next few years as China outstrips the US on the technology and Elon Musk has announced plans to commercialize a Tesla autonomous vehicle.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai credit: Shlomi Yosef "We don't learn from others, we think we're smarter"

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai slams the government's transport policy, which worships the car, and still insists that closing Sde Dov airport was a mistake.

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018