Ramat-Hovav Toxic Waste Dumping Site
The Israeli Students Case Study
Our Case Study:
The Ramat-Hovav Toxic Waste Dumping Site, Negev Desert, Israel
Making the Decision On Establishing The Site
1. In the 1950’s, the factories of Tirkovoth Brom (bromium compounds) and Machteshim (craters) were established in the industrial area east of Be’er-Sheva’. They were situated in a distance of roughly 600 meters from residential buildings (Quarter C (Gimel) in Be’er-Sheva’)). It is well known that Machteshim didn’t have a business license. Because of the noxious smells and leakage of hazardous materials, the Be’er-Sheva’ municipality and Ministry of Health demanded that the factories be removed from town. In addition, there was no room in town for plant expansion. Because of these reasons a decision was made to transfer them.
2. In 1968, the idea to establish a national dumping site for hazardous chemical waste was raised.
3. The site chosen for both the chemical factories for Be’er-Sheva’
and for the national dumping site for hazardous chemical wastes was Ramat-Hovav,
12 km south of Be’er-Sheva’ . The reasons for choosing the site
were:
- the location was close enough to Be’er-Sheva’ so that transportation
fees would be minimal,
- the rock in the area is eoken era limestone whose infiltration capacity
is low.
4. Ramat-Hovav is situated in an area that is not under any local jurisdiction and hence the imposition of laws there is the responsibility of the District Committee for Planning and Building of the Ministry of the Interior and various other national governmental offices.
5. In October, 1973, plans for the establishment of the industrial site at Ramat-Hovav were officially submitted. At that time there was no legal obligation to prepare a survey of the environmental consequences of locating a hazardous chemical dumping ground on the site.
6. On 12/10/74, construction of Ramat-Hovav Industrial park for chemical plants and hazardous chemical waste, began. The site consisted of 8,000 dunums of land that were released by the I.D.F. Building licenses were granted.
7. In 1975, an Inter-Ministerial committee confirmed the general layout and the concept of treatment of the waste.
8. The construction of the system was completed in 1976.
9. At the end of the 1970’s the estimated number of residents in the area of Ramat-Hovav, (between the prison at the north and the Negev Junction at the south), was 2,800. According to the maps of TaHal (Israel Water Planning), there were about 400 Bedouin constructions.
10. In 1991 there were 1,137 residential constructions in the said areas, according to the report of the Department for Supervision of Open Areas (the “Green Patrol”). ASDBRI estimates that 7,959 people were dwelling there. In 1992, there were 1,527 unlicensed residential constructions in the area, containing 10,689 people.
11. A part of the population had been dwelling in the area before 1948. ASDBRI estimates that today they and their offspring constitute 50% of the population. The rest of the population have been removed to the Ramat-Hovav area that is the “Seyag” (reservation) area of the Al-’Azazmeh tribe. The forced removals of Bedouin to Ramat-Hovav are still taking place today. On July 27th 1993, members of the Al-Tukhi clan were removed to Ramat-Hovav from the Al-Haltsa/Revivim area. Also the Abu-Qardud and Zaanun families from Mount Negev were forcibly removed to Ramat-Hovav at the end of August 1993. (Their legal and political battle to stay on their original land is still going on.)
12. The fact that the Ramat-Hovav Industrial center is situated in a municipally undetermined zone has significant implications: there is no single body that is responsible for the site from the aspect of licensing or imposition of laws and regulations...ending the elimination of environmental disturbances. Responsibility for the site has been divided among eight different bodies: the major ones being: the Ministry of the Interior’s District Committee for Planning and Building, the Environment Protection Service (now an independent Ministry), the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
13. The dumping site in Ramat-Hovav was opened in 1980 and its operation was turned over to a private contractor.
14. In 1982, the dumping site was closed, following many mishaps. The Industrial Construction Co., a private firm, took over the operation. Controlled storage platforms with security and fire elimination devices, were built for all sorts of chemical waste. The I.D.F. and the Ministry of Defense buried dangerous wastes to the west of the site. A “Site Administration”, a voluntary body of the local industries in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Industrial Construction Co., was established. The Administration had no legal status nor any power of imposition.
15. On June 20th, 1983, the dumping site was reopened.
16. On November 29th, 1987, the Industrial Construction Co. stopped operating the site.
17. In 1989, a company for quality of the environment (which was responsible for the operation of the hazardous waste dumping site), was established. Recently, the government decided to privatize the site. Forty companies applied for the tender, out of whom seven fit the preconditions.
18. In 1988, Amendment No. 12 of the Local Councils Ordinance was passed by the Knesset. According to this law the Minister of the Interior can proclaim by order an interurban industrial area in which there are plants with a common infrastructure, as an Industrial Council. The Order requires the consent of the Ministers of Commerce and Industry and the Treasury. The Council must be composed of nine members who include:
one representative of each of the following Ministries:
Interior (chair)
The Council’s tasks and powers are:
(a) protection of all public systems existing on the site, including the
infrastructure system, land reclamation, roads, sewage systems, water system,
gardening, electricity, shelters and other public areas.
(b) protection and maintenance of the areas and the devices on the site.
(c) supervision of laws, orders and regulations in connection with building,
operation and maintenance of the plants on the industrial site.
(d) supervision of recycling of energy and the environmental quality on the
site.
(e) organizing and managing of common services on the site: safety, fire
control, first aid and transportation.
In 1989 the Industrial Council of Ramat-Hovav started its activity. The Council has a department for quality of the environment and there are intentions for establishing an air protection system aimed at improving the situation. No evaluation of the Council’s activity has taken place. Residents of neighboring kibbutzim report satisfaction for its very establishment because it constitutes an address for taking care of complaints and it sincerely attempts to improve the situation.
19. Problems in treating sewage: The conception of treating sewage was based on separating the sewage into two sorts- a filthy stream of processed or concentrated waste and a clean stream. The filthy stream consists of sewage derived from industrial usage and its level of filth is high. This sewage is directed through special pipes to evaporating pools. “clean” stream sewage which does not derive from industrial processes, has a lower level of filth. This stream is directed to a separate system of treatment at the biological institute that was established in Ramat-Hovav. The plants in Ramat-Hovav didn’t observe separation and all sewage was directed to the evaporating pools. The pools filled up very quickly, the material didn’t have enough time for evaporation and so that the pools became storage pools. The area of the pools - 200 dunums - was not sufficient. The sewage overflowed. The site’s management requested an expansion of size of the pools; after a protracted struggle with the I.D.F. who refused to release areas, the company got an additional 250 dunums. In 1986 the total area of the pools was expanded to 410 dunums. A part of the “clean” stream was flowed directly into the Sekher waterbed and from there to HaBesor riverbed. In 1986 the Industrial Construction Co. reported that the industries produced 4,000 m3 sewage per day, 1,300 m3 from the concentrated stream and 2,700 m3 from the “clean”. The Biological Institute is able to treat only 10% of the sewage therefore the directing to the Sekher riverbed is taking place. The Company foresaw that in 1989 there would be 9,100 m3 of drainage per day in Ramat-Hovav. In order to overcome the need of purifying the “clean” stream, the sue of the spraying system was initiated: the stream is directed to towers that spray the drainage by 3,000 sprayers for 6 hours a day. The system eliminated the penetration of the drainage into the soil. Where does it fly to and where does it land? Is the elimination of pollution of the aquifer in the area taking place at the expense of air and land pollution?
20. In this sphere there is a lack of laws. Up to date there is no law or standard concerning hazardous waste: there are no regulations defining what is permitted for elimination, in what concentration and under what conditions. In the sphere of air pollution there is a law but it doesn’t relate to exhaust materials of the Ramat-Hovav plants. The situation is that of lack of regulatory laws that should have been imposed on the plants.
21. Water:
in the Eoken rock there are fissures that enable the infiltration of water
deep into the soil. Poisonous materials have penetrated into the aquifer
and have caused damage to the Besor stream. In 1985 it was found that the
Besor stream water was polluted until the Tse’elim Fountain. There is
a fear of polluting the aquifer. The Nature Preservation Authority is involved
in stream protection and therefore has data on this.
22. Dying vegetation: in the Besor Reservation most of the vegetation has died, except for the canes and the tamarisks. The N>P.A., has assert3ed for the last eight years, that the existence of the reservation has no justification.
23. Air: members of kibbutzim in the Eshkol Region and the Bedouin In the surroundings continually complain about sharp odorous. There are no official and scientific findings because of lack of air protection services. Bedouin in the surrounding area complain that their children have breathing troubles, nausea and vomiting.
24. Soil: Materials are leaking from the pools into the plant’s courtyards. There is no official information on the subject.
25. Radiation: a set of high tension electric cables is stretched on the hills over the tents and shacks where Bedouin live. No examination of possible damages to the Bedouin’s health has ever been made.
26. Noise: the turbines generating electricity make noise. In a test made by the Electricity Company on the first two turbines, the company claimed that they upheld the legally permitted noise standards at a distance of 125m from the turbines. The influence of noise decreases at a distance of 600m. The Bedouin were on the site before the turbines were placed. A part of them are residing within the noisy area. The engines work round the clock and definitely constitute a disturbance.
27. Other: children in the area use to steal barrels in which poisonous materials were once stored and use them for storage of other things.
Appendix 1: List of Events - Published Mishaps
1. In 1980, an outburst of fire on the site obliged the evacuation of workers from the industrial plants and from a nearby military compound. It was caused by an explosion at the Spectrum plant that produces chemical materials. A worker was killed and another was wounded. As a result the Ministry of Health ordered the closure of the site.
2. Seepage from the evaporation pools of the hazardous waste was discovered. The pools were sealed.
3. On 14/2/85, the Nature Preservation Society informed the Ministry of Health about the death of 3 donkeys that drank from a waddi near Ramat-Hovav.
4. On 12/5/85, a military convoy that passed by the site, came across a stinking fog of poisonous gas. The soldiers became dizzy and suffered nausea and heartburn. Some of them required medical treatment.
5. On 23/11/86, the head of the Eshkol Regional Council complained about a mishap in the drainage pipe that leads to the spraying area. 2,500 m3 per day were poured into the Sekher stream and from there to the Besor stream, polluting the reservoir.
6. On 9/12/86, an inspector of the N.P.S. complained about the overflow of the evaporation pools of Machteshim factory.
7. On 20/1/87, the head of the Eshkol Regional Council complained about directing sewage into the stream. The flow of sewage was discovered a week after it started. It lasted three more weeks.
8. On 4/2/88, a fire burst out, causing poisonous smoke to drift southwards.
9. On 4/2/88, the press reported that two female soldiers were hospitalized following the spread of poisonous gas from a fire that took place on the dumping site.
10. On 19/11/88, workers from the dumping site were hospitalized.
11. On 5/12/88, the District Engineer of the Ministry of Health informed the Machteshim plant that it was infringing the conditions of its business license. The plant had channeled its drainage to the waddi instead of transporting it to the hazardous materials dumping site.
12. On 21/12/88, the press reported complaints from the Bedouin of the Ramat-Hovav area: the hazardous waste caused the disappearance of sexual desire.
13. On 23/12/88, the Ministry of Interior complained to the Machteshim plant about the direction of waste to the waddi and the concentration of barrels of waste I the plant’s courtyard.
14. On 12/3/89, the press reported the death of 40 sheep that drank from the drainage of Machteshim. The shepherd and his daughter were hospitalized.
15. On 13/8/88, the press widely reported headaches, dizziness, nausea of soldiers serving in a military base near Ramat-Hovav: A newspaper disclosed a military document prohibiting the stationing of soldiers on the site for three successive years.
Appendix 2: Description of the Ramat-Hovav Factories
Ramat-Hovav contains the following factories:
* Machteshim - a member of the Kur industrial group (a Histadruth company), produces 100 different materials, among them pesticides, subtle chemicals for use in the pharmaceutics and cosmetic industries, flavor and odor materials, flame retarding materials, chemicals for the textile, paper and photographic industries, and pesticides for home use
* Tirkovoth Brom- owned by KIL. Israel Chemicals, a government company; it produces 70 different products sorted into four main groups:
* Copolac South - American owners. Specializes in producing and developing organic mediating materials for use in the chemicals, pharmaeceutic, animal food and cosmetics industries.
* Spectrum Chemicals Ltd. - Produces materials based on phennols and cyanide products. The products are precious chemicals that are produced in relatively small quantities and are used as mediating materials for industries, chemicals for agriculture and materials for pharmaeceutic industries.
* Hazardous Waste Processing Center- Waste materials deriving from the chemical, military, aeronautic industries, academic and research institutes, hospitals, coating industries, metal processing plants, I.D.F....etc., are transported here from all over the country.
* Agis- Pharmaeceutic and cosmetics industries.
** Electricity Plant
Ramat-Negev Citizens' Group Asks for your help
We are residents of the Ramat Negev Regional Council in the Negev desert in southern Israel, and live in cooperative communities (kibbutzim) and agricultural settlements (moshavim) within this council. Our region borders on a tract of land that is a site of heavy chemical industry and is defined as the "Ramat Hovav" Regional Council. During the last year a number of projects were conducted monitoring air pollution in the region. These projects are executed by the Ministry of Environment and with full cooperation of local residents.
Within the aforementioned industrial site is an area defined as the national Hazardous Waste Dump and it has been in existence for the past twelve years. The Ministry of Environment is interested in erecting the "national" incinerator on this site for the disposal of hazardous wastes. This incinerator is designated to burn the accumulated materials stockpiled on this site during the proceeding years, as well as new materials that will arrive from all other locations in Israel.
The company that was awarded the bid to build the Israeli incinerator, is a Danish company, under the ownership of DAN WASTE. We believe that this same company manages an incinerator in Nirburg, Denmark. The incinerator here is intended to burn about 15 million tons of hazardous organic waste a year. The distance from the nearest populated location is 2 kilometers (nomadic tribes are the inhabitants). The nearest permanent settlement is at a distance of 10 kilometers. The components for the incinerator will be purchased from an American company called KVS. At this junction in time, the buried materials pose a danger to the water table as well as the possibility of fires erupting.
We understand that incinerators for hazardous waste materials have been in operation in Denmark for several years. In Israel, the intended incinerator shall be its first one. We have no previous experience here in the subject of incineration of hazardous waste materials and the effect of such incineration on the environment, most importantly, in regard to air pollution. As local residents, we are most concerned and would be very interested in establishing a correspondence with you in order improve our understanding of the effects of incineration of hazardous wastes on the environment.
We would be most grateful for your help in the following subjects:
1. Data collected from monitoring stations of similar sites in Denmark.
2. Statistics pertaining to occurrences of air pollution events as the result of incineration.
3. The stand taken by local "green" organizations and publications in regard to the incineration of hazardous waste.
4. Public dissent or complaints by those who reside in close proximity to a site.
5. Information about the concurrent existence of communities and incinerators.
6. Specific information about the incinerator erected in Nirburg and/or any additional incinerators built by the company DAN WASTE.
All such information that you may supply will be greatly appreciated. We sincerely hope for your most valued cooperation in this fact gathering project.
You may contact us at email: hovav@ramat-negev.org.il