A magistrate’s court imposed a token fine on the government-owned Haifa Refineries and gave it two years to modify its waste gas burning facilities to reduce air pollution or shut down.
The fine of 200 Shekels ($26) was the maximum allowed under the public nuisance law. Both the refineries and the Haifa municipality which brought the action, have spent substantial sums for legal counsel in the year-long dispute. The refinery management said it would take two years to install equipment designed to reduce the black smoke and noxious gas emissions at a cost of more than $1 million.
The smoke and foul smells became a problem two years ago after the refineries installed two gas flares at its new ethylene plant as a safety precaution. An American engineer, Robert Chase who is a consultant to Standard Oil of California, checked the plant and declared it to be of “excellent design.” But he suggested alterations to reduce pollution.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
