Israel Ministry of the Enviromental Protection - News

Biodiversity Conservation Incorporated in a Government Decision on Heritage Conservation in Israel

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On Feb 21, 2010, Israel's cabinet approved an NIS 400 million (more than $100 million) national program for the rehabilitation and strengthening of some 150 heritage sites throughout the country. The six-year plan will aim to preserve, rehabilitate, renovate and develop historic and national sites in conjunction with relevant stakeholders and to incorporate the subject in the educational system. As part of the program a national database on heritage assets will be established and measures will be taken to make them accessible to the public through the internet.

At the request of Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan, an additional paragraph was added to the work plan which calls for the conservation of the biodiversity of plants and animals mentioned in Biblical and Jewish sources as an inseparable part of the national heritage.

Minister Erdan: "Protection of ecosystems is an imperative due to Israel's accelerated development. We now know that protection of biodiversity is not only designated to protect nature and landscapes but first and foremost to protect our life sources and our very ability to subsist. One example is the plan to establish a national network of 15 birdwatching centers, which will track the migration of about a billion birds through Israel, as mentioned in our sources (Jeremiah 8, verse 7): "Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the turtledove, the swallow and crane observe the time of their migration."

Ministerial Committee on Science and Technology Approves a Knowledge Center on the Health Impacts of Non-Ionizing Radiation

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan: The knowledge center will aim to provide Israel's public with tools to reduce exposure to radiation sources which threaten to endanger its health

On Feb 23, 2010, Israel's Ministerial Committee on Science and Technology approved the establishment of an information center on the health impacts of non-ionizing radiation. Establishment of the center, budgeted at a million shekels a year, was initiated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection in cooperation with the Ministry of Science. The aim of the center is to assess how best to reduce public exposure to non-ionizing radiation which may damage its health, on the basis of existing global knowledge and the generation of new knowledge.

Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan: The information center is meant to provide balanced and independent information to respond to growing public concern about the hazards of radiation from high-tension lines, cellular networks, and other radiation sources. Over the coming year, we will put together the expert team of the center and the center will begin to operate, in order to regulate the field and care for public health by reducing its exposure to potentially harmful radiation sources."

420,000 Shekel Fine to Kiryat Tivon Local Council for Water Pollution

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Haifa Magistrates Court fined the Kiryat Tivon Local Council, in the north of Israel, 420,000 shekels for failing to take the necessary measures to properly maintain its sewage system and causing stench as a result of the discharge of sewage. On numerous occasions in the period spanning from 1999 to 2005, raw sewage was discharged from the council's pumping stations toward such water sources as the Kishon River and a channel which drains into the Zippori River. The defendants were convicted of offenses under the Water Law, 1959 and the Abatement of Nuisances Law, 1961.

On Feb 15, 2010, the court adopted a plea bargain between the sides under which the council pleaded guilty to the offenses while the other defendants were deleted from the indictment. The council was fined 420,000 shekels to be paid into the Maintenance of Cleanliness Fund and signed a guarantee for an identical sum to refrain from similar offenses during a three year period.

Environmental Awards to Israel Defense Forces

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On Mar 2, 2010, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi presented environmental awards to army units, soldiers and commanders of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who exhibited excellence in protecting the environment, environmental resources and the landscape and in instilling environmental values among soldiers and commanders.

The aim of the competition is to give expression to the wide-ranging environmental activity which takes place in the IDF, to present the achievements of excelling units, individuals and projects, and to serve as an impetus for promoting environmental protection in the IDF. The ceremony was accompanied by an exhibition of winning photographs on the subject of "IDF and the Environment in the Eye of the Camera - 2008."

The theme of this year's IDF environmental competition was "water source protection in the IDF" in light of the water crisis confronting Israel. During the ceremony, prizes were awarded to the winners of both the 2008 and 2009 competition for projects related to the protection of water sources, water savings, electricity savings, hazard prevention, prevention of oil and fuel pollution and recycling.

Ministries of Finance and Environmental Protection Promote Construction Waste Recycling in Israel

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On Mar 3, 2010, Israel's Accountant General, Shuki Oren, issued instructions requiring the use of recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste in government ministry contracts and in large-scale infrastructure tenders issued by the State. The instructions come in the wake of recommendations by a joint team of representatives of the Department of the Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance and of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The team was set up in accordance with an Oct 2008 government decision which called on the two bodies to find a mechanism for incorporating requirements for the use of recycled C&D waste in government tenders for major projects.

The following guidelines are included in the instructions issued by the Accountant General:

In government ministry contracts for the establishment of infrastructures, which include the use of quarrying material as fill material, at least 20% of the fill material must be made up of recycled C&D waste.
Large-scale infrastructure tenders, such as Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in such fields as construction, desalination and transport, exceeding 100 million shekels in value, must comply with the following criteria:

Use of recycled materials should exceed 20%
C&D waste must be recycled at the construction site or must be removed to a regulated recycling site.

The Accountant General has emphasized that implementation of this instruction by the government will bring about the development of a C&D market in Israel and will encourage the private sector to act similarly. "I attribute major importance to the advancement of an environmentally friendly policy and to the use of the tools at our disposal in government contracts to implement this policy. This step is part of a number of additional steps that the Accountant General's Department is promoting, including the establishment of solar power stations and the publication of a tender on energy efficiency in government ministries," said Oren.

It is estimated that between 3 to 4 million tons of C&D waste are generated in Israel each year, of which only 2 million tons reach regulated solid waste disposal sites (about 50%). This is due to the small number of regulated sites in >>Israel, the distance of these sites from waste generation centers, and the lack of adequate inspection and supervision in local authorities. As a result, waste reaches illegal sites or is disposed in open areas, fields and roadsides, leading to soil and groundwater contamination, damage to wildlife and harm to the ecological balance.

C&D waste recycling has high economic value, which is expressed, inter alia, in minimizing the external and direct impacts of this waste by reducing the quantity of C&D waste which is discarded in open spaces, decreasing the volume of this waste which is transferred for landfilling and lessening the exploitation of limited natural resources (quarries and mines).

Israel Celebrates National Cleanup Day - Mar 9, 2010

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Within the framework of the Maintenance of Cleanliness Law, Israel's Minister of Environmental Protection has ordered that National Cleanup Day will take place on Mar 9, 2010 this year.

The Maintenance of Cleanliness Order relating to National Cleanup Day was published in Israel on Feb 22, 2009. The aim of the day is "to increase public awareness of the maintenance of cleanliness in open and public spaces and of the protection of the environment." The law calls for the day to be celebrated once a year on the last Tue, of the Hebrew month of Adar (generally the month of Mar), before the Passover holiday.

As per the law, "on National Cleanup Day, education and information activities on the maintenance of cleanliness and protection of the environment, including on recycling, which will include participation in special cleanup activities, shall take place throughout the country in Israel Defense Forces bases, in local authorities and in educational institutes."

The Ministry of Environmental Protection believes that maintaining cleanliness in the public domain is the first step toward environmental protection and a prerequisite for assimilating values of responsibility for the place in which we live. National Cleanup Day aims to encourage the general public including students, soldiers and citizens to preserve cleanliness in streets, neighborhoods, public gardens and seacoasts. . The Ministry of Environmental Protection has called on local authorities, the educational system and the Israel Defense Forces to take an active part in cleanup campaigns throughout the country. In parallel, the Marine and Coastal Environment Division of the Ministry is promoting coastal cleanups and an underwater cleanup in Eilat, as part of its Clean Coast program.

In the educational system, schools have been called upon to promote awareness of the subject, both by explaining the importance of environmental protection within the class and by launching cleanups in the school yard and the vicinity of the school. Schools are encourages to prepare signposts attesting to the cleanup of the area by the students and emphasizing the importance of continuing to preserve the cleanliness of the area. Cleanups may well include parents and neighbors and the local authority should be contacted to help remove the collected waste and to provide the necessary means for collection.

Local authorities are expected to promote awareness of cleanliness and cleanups in central areas, in cooperation with residents, employees, municipal environmental committee and other bodies. Furthermore, municipal activities should include schools and kindergartens. In parallel, cleanups should emphasize the importance of open public space and the promotion of a sustainable lifestyle in the authority.

The Israel Defense Forces are expected to promote awareness of the subject and to conduct cleanups in bases and units, with an emphasis on the importance of open public space and a sustainable lifestyle in daily military conduct. Cleanups should be accompanied with signposts attesting to the cleanup of the area and calling on soldiers to preserve cleanliness in the bases and open spaces in which the military operates. Different army units are taking part in cleanups throughout the country while in Eilat, an underwater cleanup was organized by the Marine Pollution Prevention Station, the Marine Divers Diving Club and the director of the Marina.

Within the framework of the underwater cleanup in Eilat, significant quantities of waste, including used tires, waste iron, batteries, etc. were removed from the water. In addition, large quantities of light waste were collected including disposable dishes and bottles.

Some 1000 volunteers took part in National Cleanup Day activities in Israel.

Environmental Protection Ministry Promotes Stricter Noise Prevention Regulations

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection has recently completed drafting an amended to the Abatement of Nuisances Regulations (Noise Prevention), 1992, designated to further reduce noise which disturbs people in their homes. The proposed amendments will be distributed to government ministries for comment and will be promulgated upon their approval and the approval of the Knesset (Israel's parliament).

Noise is a daily problem which disturbs residents throughout Israel. Thousands of complaints about noise in residential areas reach the Ministry of Environmental Protection, local authorities and the Israel Police every year. The following statistics for 2008 speak for themselves:

Israel Police: 1557 reports were issued to citizens by the Israel Police for noise related offenses, out of thousands of received complaints on noise.
Local Authorities: Tel Aviv's Municipal Environmental Authority received 1075 complaints about noise, constituting 17% of the total number of complaints for the year.
Ministry of Environmental Protection: The Ministry of Environmental Protection received 453 complaints about noise, constituting 7% of the total number of complaints to the ministry for the year.

In light of the problem, the Ministry of Environmental Protection decided to respond to the growing public need for a quiet environment by amending the current regulations on noise abatement. The aim of the regulations is to reduce noise nuisances in the private environment of residents by amending the Abatement of Nuisances Regulations on Noise Prevention so as to further limit or prohibit the generation of noise, to raise fine levels for noise offenses and to provide for more efficient enforcement.

Following are some examples of the proposed amendments:

Expanded hours in which noise from home renovations and from construction and excavation work will be prohibited;
Prohibition on the use of firecrackers and detonators and prohibition of fireworks within 1000 meters from a residential area, except on certain holidays;
Prohibition on the installation and operation of car alarms, with a grace period of up to four years for existing alarms;
Prohibition on operating noise generating gardening equipment in residential areas during certain hours;
Prohibition on the operation of leaf blowers in residential areas;
Prohibition on operating radios, televisions or musical instruments in a manner which disturbs a person in his home;
Prohibition on the operation of public address systems, loudspeakers and megaphones in such a manner as to be heard in a residence on certain hours;
Prohibition on loud voices at a volume which disturbs a person in his home.

In relating to the amendments, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan stated: "The State of Israel is a dense and noisy country and it is rare to fulfill the basic human need for a quiet residential environment. The plan we are promoting will significantly reduce noise nuisances in order to allow citizens to enjoy quiet and serenity in their homes."

Environmental Protection Minister's Prize for Environmental Excellence

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has announced its intention to grant up to seven prizes for environmental excellence in different sectors: The prizes will be granted to different sectors of society:

Local government
Industry and commerce
Public sector
Non-profit organizations
Individuals with outstanding achievements, including in research
Volunteers

The seventh prize will be granted at the discretion of the selection committee.

The winners will receive a certificate and a 50,000 shekel financial prize during the course of a festive ceremony which will take place at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, with the participation of the President of the State of Israel and the Minister of Environmental Protection.

Criteria for selection include the following:

Degree of excellence of the activity
Innovation and creativity level of the activity
Extent of the change in terms of the company's or the authority's overall activity
Level of resource savings resulting from the activity
Duration of the activity period
Degree of stakeholder involvement ? management, employees, residents, clients, etc.
Impact on additional bodies and the supply chain
Scope of financial and resource investment out of the total volume of activity.

The selection committee is chaired by retired judge Uri Goren and made up of representatives of the Israel Manufacturers Association, academia, local government, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, television, non-governmental organizations. Candidates may be proposed until Apr 15, 2010 by electronic mail only to: award@sviva.gov.il using the forms available on the Hebrew website.

Israel Government to Set up Interministerial Committee on a National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On Mar 14, 2010, Israel's Cabinet approved a joint initiative of the Ministries of Environmental Protection and Finance to establish an interministerial committee on formulating a national plan for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The decision comes within the framework of Israel's preparations for combating climate change and in order to implement the emission reduction targets which were set by Israel in the Copenhagen Climate Change Convention in Dec 2009 (20% reduction relative to the "business as usual" scenario in 2020).

The committee will deal, inter alia, with energy efficiency, green building and the economic aspects of the subject and their impacts on Israel's industry and export. The committee's recommendations for an action plan will be submitted for approval to the Ministerial Committee on Environmental Protection and Climate Change in Oct 2010.

The interministerial committee will be chaired by the director general of the Ministry of Finance and will include the directors general of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of National Infrastructure, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Labor, Ministry of the Interior, Chairman of the Public Utility Authority ? Electricity and the Attorney General.

According to Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan, "This is a significant step in the country's attitude toward greenhouse gas emissions reductions and air pollution. The interministerial committee, headed by the director general of the Ministry of Finance, will provide the necessary operative tools to implement the ambitious targets which Israel set in the Copenhagen Climate Change Convention and will create an opportunity for a significant change in the economy by means of such steps as energy efficiency, green building, advancement of environmental technology, and more."

Haim Shani, Director General of the Ministry of Finance noted: "The committee was established in recognition of the importance of greenhouse gas emissions reduction in order to promote green growth which will contribute both to environmental improvement and to the development of Israel's cleantech industry."