This Audit Report is a part of a series of Reports on Environmental Protection regarding:
Background
The Haifa Bay area is home to many different industrial factories, some of which also handle and store hazardous materials, causing significant air pollution and other environmental hazards that have a widespread impact on all residents of Haifa and the surrounding area. The concentration of hazardous materials in the Haifa Bay area, located close to population centers, poses a risk to the population. This risk is magnified by the location of the bay close to the Yagur Rift geological fault line, and there is a reasonable possibility that a strong earthquake will occur near it in the future. In addition to the industrial activity, three seaports operate in this area. According to Ministry of Environmental Protection (MOEP) data on emissions, the ships that visited the ports of Haifa were the primary source of air pollution emissions in the Haifa Bay area. The emission volume of one pollutant (sulfur oxides), from these ships was over four-fold higher than that from road transportation and industry combined, and the emissions of several other pollutants into the air were significantly high. According to data presented by the Ministry of Health over the years the incidence rate of various diseases in the Haifa Bay area is higher than the national average. Different bodies have raised concerns that air pollution in this area is one of the reasons for this. For years, there has been an ongoing civil and public struggle to evacuate polluting industries from the Bay area and transform it into a thriving and sustainable metropolitan area.
In June 2019, the State Comptroller published a special audit comprising six reports about various government actions regarding environmental pollution in Haifa Bay (the previous audit). These reports raised numerous significant findings, highlighting the need to improve the quality of the environment and life in the Haifa Bay area. In particular, they noted the absence of a comprehensive governmental vision and long-term strategy for the region's development, considering the need to reduce the prevalent air pollution.
In October 2020, the government established an inter-ministerial CEOs committee to formulate a governmental strategy and principles for an action plan to develop and promote Haifa Bay. In March 2022, the government decided on the future of the Haifa Bay area (Government Resolution 1231) through the promotion of a strategy for the development of the Haifa Bay area, focusing on improving the quality of life for the area's residents by advancing significant projects, including the cessation of the petrochemical industry in Haifa Bay, subject to alternatives that ensure the functional continuity of Israel's energy economy, and new spatial planning to transform the nature of the Haifa Bay area into a hub for residential development, employment, clean industry, and green spaces. The government's decision established an inter-ministerial steering committee and a dedicated administration within the Prime Minister's Office in 2022. In June 2023, they published a detailed work plan for implementing the government decision.
The current audit (follow-up audit) examines the state of government intervention in two main areas: overall governmental efforts to promote a comprehensive, long-term solution to pollution in the area and governmental actions to reduce existing pollution from factories, ships, and ports in the interim period – until a fundamental and long-term solution is provided.