UPDATE- ENVIRONMENT - 10-Mar-93

Jerusalem, 10 March 1993

UPDATE: ENVIRONMENT

(COMMUNICATED BY THE GPO NEWS DEPARTMENT)

* Scientists from Israel, Jordan and Egypt have begun discussing ways of improving the ecological situation in the Gulf of Eilat. Unofficial discussions were conducted even before the Madrid Conference. A book compiled by Israeli, Egyptian and Jordanian researchers on the ecological problems threatening the Gulf of Eilat and possible means of prevention, was published by the Israeli Society for Man, Nature and Law. The book is the work of Dr. Alon Tal, Chairman of the Israeli Society for Man, Nature and Law; Mahmoud Hushman, an engineer heading the Saudi-Jordanian Environmental Organization; and various Egyptian experts. The Jordanian chapter deals primarily with the hazard of oil-stains, the Egyptian with issues concerning the spread of tourism in the Sinai, and the Israeli with the preservation of marine-life and waste control in the gulf. Dr. Philip Warburg, head of the Middle East Environmental Program of the Washington Environmental Law Institute, and the editor-in-chief of the book, claims that the book precedes the work done by the Environmental Committee to the Multi-lateral Peace Talks. (Gil Doron, 'Ha'ir', 5.3.93)

The Israeli Society for Man, Nature and Law 03-5468099

* The Knesset has recently passed, in its first reading, a bill that will require waste recycling by local authorities. In anticipation of this bill and additional laws being initiated by the Ministry of the Environment a central forum consisting of the mayors from the southern Sharon district of Israel (Herzliya, Kfar Saba, Ra'anana etc.) has decided to promote the issue of waste recycling. The issue of recycling will be tackled by concentrating on the area of reclassification and separation of waste at its origin. The experiment will be carried out on 15% of the population of each town for the period of one year, in order to learn from experience and correct mistakes as they crop up, only then enforcing a particular policy for the entire town. The system will require the participation of the citizens at the domestic level in separating waste into recyclable and non-recyclable. The building of a reclassification center is already in progress in the region, and there are plans for the building of a recycling center for domestic and small business waste. (Moti Cohen, 'Hadashot Ra'anana', 19.2.93)

South Sharon Regional Department of the Environment Yehuda Hollander, 052-914179

* The city of Ra'anana has taken practical measures for protecting the environment. In one such project, 'Battery Boxes' have been placed in schools throughout the city, and a competition for the gathering of batteries has been initiated in the High Schools of the area in order to increase motivation. In the second stage, the municipality intends on adding battery gathering centers throughout the city in business and commercial centers. (Moti Cohen, 'Hadashot Ra'anana', 19.2.93)

Ra'anana Municipality Peri Nativ, 052-914066

* A new system for monitoring the levels of radioactivity was inaugurated at Tel Aviv University in the presence of Minister of the Environment, Yossi Sarid. The system provides 'real time' data regarding any sudden increase in radioactive concentration in the atmosphere. The Tel Aviv center will be the connecting point of four monitoring stations situated in the Haifa Bay, Jerusalem, the Negev and Tel Aviv.

Mr. Sarid promised to order a monitoring system for the nuclear power plant in Dimona as a response to recent public concern of a possible environmental hazard. (Eli Elad, 'Ha'aretz', and Liat Collins, 'The Jerusalem Post', 5.3.93)

Environment Ministry Sari Zimmerman, 02-701634/5

* The European Investment Bank has authorized a 40 million Ecu ($47 million) loan to Israel, to be channeled into both industrial (30 million Ecu) and environmental (10 million Ecu) projects. These funds have been donated within the framework of Israeli-European Community financial co- operation which began in 1978. (Itim-AFP, 5.3.93)

Finance Ministry Eli Yossef, 02-317201

* Baran-Inbar, the Engineering and Planning Company, that has been focussing its attention on ecological and environmental matters, such as animal waste recycling, reported a 50% increase in profits over the last year. The company, that was issued on the stock exchange in April, has risen from a 5.4 million NIS profit to 9.2 million NIS by the end of 1992. (Amir Rosenblat 'Davar', 5.3.93)