Haifa Threatens to Shut Down Bazan Refineries Following Severe Benzene Leak
Haifa Municipality summoned Bazan Group management to a hearing following a severe benzene leak that closed Kiryat Ata schools, threatening to revoke business licenses.
Haifa Municipality has summoned the management of the Bazan Group (Oil Refineries Ltd.) to a formal hearing this coming Sunday following a severe benzene pollution incident on October 11-12. The incident forced the closure of two schools in Kiryat Ata and prompted strict stay-at-home instructions for local residents. Municipal authorities are weighing whether to shut down Israel's largest refinery by refusing to renew its business licenses, which are set to expire at the end of October.
Municipal Authority and Legal Pressure
Haifa Municipality holds the legal authority to grant business licenses to all enterprises operating within city limits, including the massive Bazan petrochemical complex. However, the exact scope of its legal discretion remains a subject of debate. In its official notice, the municipality warned that potential outcomes of the upcoming hearing include issuing an administrative shutdown order under Section 20 of the Business Licensing Law, seeking a judicial shutdown order under Section 22(b), or declining to renew the temporary permits held by Bazan group companies.
The municipality stressed that the drastic step is driven by a series of alleged environmental violations over recent years. According to municipal monitoring and fence-line sampling data, there is clear and significant evidence indicating ongoing fugitive emissions originating from within the plant premises.
Mayor Yona Yahav: "The Days of Lawlessness Are Over"
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav delivered a sharp rebuke against the industrial complex, declaring that public health takes precedence over any economic interests.
"The days of lawlessness in Haifa Bay are over," stated Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav. "I will not let anyone turn the residents of Haifa and the Krayot into hostages of polluting industries, nor will I allow their health and safety to be sold out to tycoons. A plant that endangers public health and safety cannot expect us to continue approving its operations as if nothing happened."
Yahav added that the situation—where children are forced to miss school due to carcinogenic air pollution while the region faces ongoing security threats—represents a crossed red line. As of press time, a response from the Bazan Group has not yet been received.
