Environmental Protection Ministry officials said on Tuesday, June 23, that they are considering opening a civil lawsuit in addition to the existing criminal investigation against the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company (EAPC) as a result of the firm’s December oil spill in the Arava Desert. Environmental activists gathered at the Knesset to discuss the aftermath of the spill in the session of the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, one of many focusing on green issues held as part of the Knesset’s Environment Day on Tuesday.
Last December’s oil spill in the Arava Desert (Photo: Israel Nature and Parks Authority)
On December 3, the EAPC’s infrastructure poured some 5 million liters of oil into the Arava Desert, causing severe harm in particular to the Evrona Nature Reserve. Environmental Protection Ministry southern district manager Guy Samet estimated that damages from the spill total about NIS 130 million, while the organization Adam Teva V’Din – Israel Union for Environmental Defense – contends that the figure is actually NIS 526 million.
During the committee session, MK Dov Khenin (Hadash – Joint List) and activists delved into the permit conditions of the EAPC and the fact that the company today is exempt from standard planning and building procedures. Stressing that the company’s permit is to expire in 2017, MK Khenin urged the government to refuse to extend the current permit and instead require the company to be monitored.
Related:
