Health Ministry: We cannot determine at this time whether the mine will harm the health of area residents.
The Southern Regional Planning and Building Commission postponed its decision on whether Israel Chemicals Ltd. (TASE: ICL) subsidiary Rotem Amfert Negev Ltd. can establish a phosphate mine at Sde Barir outside Arad. The commission postponed the decision after the Ministry of Health said it could not determine at this time whether the mine would harm the health of area residents. The ministry asked for an extension so that professionals could review the opinions.
Local residents worried about damage to the area's ecology and landscapes strongly oppose the mine. The Israel Union for Environmental Defense also objects to the plan. Sde Barir is three kilometers from Arad, and covers 13,000 dunam (3,250 acres), almost equal in area to the town. The site has one of the largest phosphate deposits in the Negev.
The Southern Regional Planning Commission gave the Ministry of Health three months to submit its final report on the issue.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 28, 2008
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