Most factories exceed pollution limits

Polluters include Taro, Kitan, Haifa Chemicals, and Zoglowek.

More than 60% of large factories in Israel tested by the Ministry of Environmental Protection over the past year exceeded the pollution level permitted in their business licenses or ordinances. The ministry conducted 377 tests at 50 factories and 87 facilities, including the taking of air samples and analyzing them. 30 factories exceeded their permitted emissions levels, in some cases by thousands of percent, jeopardizing the environment. Some of the emissions are suspected carcinogens and others harm the lungs.

The worst offender is RonoPolydan Packaging Ltd., a color printing plant at the Barkan industrial zone near Ariel. Ministry of Environmental Protection inspectors found that the factory emission level of ethyl acetate, a toxin, exceeded permitted levels by 3,713%, and its emissions of suspected carcinogenic organic particulates exceeded permitted levels by 5,067%. The ministry cancelled the factory's toxin permit until the factory complies with all standards.

The emissions of ethyl alcohol by the Haifa Bay factory of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Pink Sheets: TAROF) were found to exceed permitted levels by 1,007%. The ministry's report said that the factories' waste evaporators were no longer operated, and that since then emissions no longer exceeded the allowed levels.

Other major polluters includedHaifa Chemicals Ltd., Cham Food (Israel) Ltd. (TASE:CHAM), Vulcan Batteries Ltd. (TASE:VCLA), food companies Soglowek Ltd. and Pri Nir Ltd., textile plant Kitan Dimona Ltd., Negev Textiles Ltd., Yehuda Steel Ltd., Lime & Stone Production Ltd., and Vitamed Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 6, 2008

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2008

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