The Ministry of the Environment reported that the planned pumping operation was completed in a whale rig. • According to the Ministry's routing positions, there were no exceptions in air pollution

• Whale rig // Photo: Albatross

Passed successfully: The Ministry of the Environment reported Tuesday (Tuesday) that the levy day on Leviathan rig is over after about 10 hours of operation. According to the ministry, no abnormalities in the air pollution facility were recorded at any of the North Sharon and Carmel detention stations.

Carmel Coast Council Heads Up Leviathan's Ascent // Photo: Carmel Coastal Regional Council

The office noted that during the morning, a load was registered in the "Air in the Environment" app, which is intended to show the air pollution data to the public, which led to logging problems that were resolved within minutes.

It should be noted that from about 3:20 pm to about 4:30 pm what was defined as the significant part of the settlement, during which large quantities of carbon, including benzene, were emitted, the ingredient closely monitored by the Ministry of the Environment. The actual volume of emissions from the rig, as evidenced by data from the ministry's inspectors, was significantly lower than the quantities assessed prior to carrying out the calculation.

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The concentrations of benzene measured throughout the day at the coastal monitoring stations opposite the rig were similar to the reference period of November 1 to December 22 (a period with similar meteorological conditions). The maximum hourly concentrations at the various coastal stations today ranged from 0.41 - 1.40 mcg / cubic meter, compared to maximum hourly concentrations of 1.47-2.93 mcg / cubic meter during the reference period.

"Environmental achievement for the environment"

Environment Minister MK Ze'ev Elkin, who followed the operation of the rig, referred to the event, saying: "The process of balancing and running the Leviathan rig is over - there is no increase or deviation in monitoring data. As I promised in the Knesset, today I arrived with Minister Yuval Steinitz to the monitoring stations around the beaches.

"Already, most of the gas used by the State of Israel comes from a whale - a huge achievement for the State of Israel that becomes a gas power and also an environmental achievement in the process of giving up coal for the environment and residents' health," the minister said.

Carmel Coast Council President Asif Izak added: "I am pleased to say that during the whole day there were no exceptions, the air level was perfectly normal. We are preparing for the second day of the same procedure, the Ministry of Environmental Protection will notify us 48 hours earlier, and we will take action accordingly. Passed successfully and without exception. "

Protest of residents evacuated from their homes // Photo: Housekeepers

As we recall, during the day the company operated the rig, Noble Energy, opened two of the four wells in the reservoir, and natural gas was flowed into the treatment rig. At the end of the weekend or early next week, the second round will take place: the remaining two wells will also open. Gas exports to Egypt are expected to begin in January.

During the operation, residents of the area held a convoy of buses and cars that were "evacuated" from the area, carrying signs with protest signs: "evacuees enveloping a whale" and some were wearing gas masks - defiance of emissions of contaminants as a result of the assembly.