 |
| Bazan refineries, in the background, dominate the landscape of Haifa bay and destroy it |
Citizens of Haifa metropolitan area, an area with rich history and educated population, regard as a major issue for the future of them and Israel the gradual and complete elimination of all petrochemical plants and facilities in Haifa Bay, which dominate the environment and are very dangerous from health, safety and socio-economic reasons.
Haifa metropolitan area suffer from cancer diseases in a percentage which is much higher then the average of Israel. In one form of cancer it even hold the world record. The ministry of health think of declaring the area as a "Health Hazardous Zone". The citizens, who suffer for decades, do not need this declaration, specially because it will take numerous committees and researches to apply it. The citizens already know it so well because their hospitals beds are filled with children sick of cancer, a fact which is approved statistically.
The safety reason for eliminating the plants is obvious: Haifa bay is a constant target for immediate missiles attacks which can blow the whole area and cause easily tens of thousands of victims.
There is a big housing problem in Israel and shortage of work places in this area which create negative immigration. Modern residential and occupation areas should be set up here. The petrochemical plants are situated on valuable land, on sea and river shores, with a spectacular view and in the heart of population centers. The Taxes that they pay nowadays are far lower compared to the taxes from a healthy population which can live and work in the future in this currently under developed surrounding.
Haifa metropolitan area ecology activists put great efforts on monitoring the current pollution statistics from the petrochemical facilities and object professionally to the dangers of increasing their capacity. Their efforts are combined with those of urban planning experts, who focus also on plans for a new unnecessary huge private port on reclaimed land from the sea.
These days the activists objections are focused on the following formal plans:
A. tripling of the production capacity of Bazan refineries under the name of ''new arrangement''.
B. building of giant fuels containers farm nearby.
C. building of huge container yards and fuels terminal in reclaimed land which will be a private port.
D. new master plan of Haifa which is in favor of all the above.
These opposition proceedings are against government plans which are in the final formal stages of approval. If these plans will be accomplished, the future of Haifa and Israel will be doomed forever.
This plans will turn Haifa area into a Third World place: The majority of the plants production is for export. Most of the ships containers will be in the yards only for transit. The needless petrochemical plants and facilities, together with the extra port, should move to third world countries, if only for reasons of economic viability, as all such industries move to countries with huge demand and low labour and land cost.
Haifa metropolitan area need large international airport, surrounded by an airport city of high tech businesses which will contribute a lot to the local economy. A reclaimed land and clean surrounding can be used for it.
Haifa bay enjoy beautiful, sunny, bright and calm weather most of the year and could attract many tourists to this basically beautiful and historically rich area, tourists who at the moment just pass by and go to other places.
Haifa's mayor Yona Yahav and his coalition support the development of the poisonous petrochemical plants and their facilities, together with the formation of the new monstrous port. It will deteriorate the health and socio-economic situation here. As a result of his mistakes Haifa metropolitan social-economic structure is already crumbling.
Haifa's green activists were born to this situation of living near petrochemical plants and a port which block the sea, so they gradually collect new insights and conclusions in a learning process. They hope that the world will help them to evaluate the situation with objective eyes, so we shall all enjoy the true gifts this land has to offer us.
