The Ministry of Environmental Protection announced Thursday evening that after a report received from teams from the environmental unit of Arad, Yeruham and Tamar, green leachate was found in the phosphogypsum stacks in the Rotem Plain, near the Rotem Ampert plant.
According to the ministry's announcement, upon receiving the report, inspection teams from the Southern District set out to sample the area together with Nature and Parks Authority inspectors. A preliminary examination of the leachate indicates that they are indeed acidic leachates, apparently due to the rains that fell a few days ago in the area. The leachate flows into the plant's mine pits and not towards Nahal Ashalim.
Flow of acidic leachate in the south, photo: Arad, Yeruham, Tamar Environmental Unit
The Ministry of Environmental Protection saidthat its personnel "are giving instructions for pumping the leachate and will continue to stay in the area and update if necessary. The ministry views the environmental pollution caused seriously and will examine in depth the causes and sources of the pollution and, if necessary, will exercise enforcement powers."
Rotem Empert's response: "This is an event caused by an unusual amount of rainfall in the area. The company acted immediately and pumped the rainwater that was cleared as a result of its overflow across the mountain."
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