Main roads in the area were also closed.
Employees at the ICL Industrial Products Ltd. plant at Ramat Hovav and at neighboring facilities were ordered to move to a protected area for an hour today, following the discovery of a leakage of methyl bromide. Main access roads in the area were also closed.
Methyl bromide is used as a soil sterilant on agricultural land, and it is banned in many countries worldwide. Today's leak happened while containers with the chemical were being moved inside the plant. A team from the Ministry of Environmental Protection which was called to the scene found that the concentrations of the chemical were low, and thus did not pose a risk to the public.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 9, 2008
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