Leak from Dead Sea Works pollutes surrounding area; protected plants found dead
Nature and Parks Authority says leak from supply canal caused salination of soil; plants dying as a result, some of them protected species; ICL says working to fix it
A leak from a supply canal of the Dead Sea Works into Nahal Tze’elim in the south of the country appears to have caused damage to the surrounding ecosystem, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said Sunday.
The authority said that plants in the area were found dead, and that some of them were protected species.
Investigators arrived on the scene and found leaks east of the supply canal, which in turn caused salination of the soil.
There did not appear to be any evidence of soil erosion as a result of the leak.
However, the authority noted that there was evidence that the area was populated by deer, rabbits, hyenas, foxes and rodents, meaning wildlife could potentially suffer due to a lack of food and shade if plants were dying. It was not clear if any animals had already been harmed.
The authority said that water flow was weak at the source of the leak, but increased downstream. There was also an area where the leaked liquid had collected.
Drones were used to map the area of the incident in an attempt to assess the extent of the damage, as well as to investigate the possibility of the pollution spreading further. There was said to be no immediate danger to the wider nature reserve.
Dead Sea Works is owned by Israel Chemicals Ltd (ICL), which said it had reported the leak on Saturday and launched an operation to fix the issue.
“Upon initial identification of the case, it was reported to the authorities in accordance with the procedures and its causes are being investigated. The company is working to provide a prompt response and immediate treatment to reduce seawater infiltration,” ICL said in a statement.
ICL is also the parent company of ICL Rotem (formerly Rotem Amfert Negev Ltd), which is responsible for one of Israel’s worst environmental disasters — the 2017 disaster in which between 100,000 and 250,000 cubic meters (3.5 million to 8.8 million cubic feet) or more of highly toxic wastewater was sent rushing through the Ashalim stream, causing massive damage to the area.
The Environmental Protection Ministry is in contact with the Nature and Parks Authority, as well as regional environmental organizations, and is monitoring ICL’s operations while working to find the fastest way to stop the leak and minimize damage to the area.
The Dead Sea is receding by around 1.2 meters (four feet) every year. The Jordan River, historically the main source of water for the Dead Sea, is diverted for agricultural and other uses by Israel, Jordan and Syria, all of which have growing populations.
Despite that, the Dead Sea Works is allowed to pump huge amounts of water from the lake.
ICL is controlled by the Ofer family’s Israel Corporation, the country’s largest holding company. It makes fertilizers, metals and other chemical products from bromine, phosphate, magnesium and potash taken from the Dead Sea or mined elsewhere in the Negev Desert.
The Times of Israel Community.