Due to the discovery of PFAS compounds at the Dub Field complex, the Ministry of environmental protection, in coordination with the Israel Land Authority (ILA), is publishing professional guidelines today, February 15, for developers regarding sampling, investigation, and removal of soil from the program area.
Idit Silman, Minister of Environmental Protection: “From the moment the findings at Dub Field were received, the Ministry has been acting quickly to complete the necessary tests and ensure full environmental treatment, while maintaining the continuity of construction and development at the site. Concurrently, additional relevant complexes are also being examined. We will continue to accompany the project and the developers until the required treatment is completed, while strictly safeguarding public health and the environment.”
The Ministry of Environmental Protection – in cooperation with the ILA and the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality – is working for rapid, professional, and focused treatment of the findings, with the aim of minimizing the impact on developers who have already begun construction and development work.
Actions Being Taken
The Ministry of Environmental Protection is currently updating the threshold values for soil remediation for the PFAS group of contaminants, and based on these, the authorized end-use targets for soil removal, if required, will be determined.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection is working to expedite the approval of soil investigation plans and requests for administrative permits for the removal of contaminated soil to authorized end-use sites, if required.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection – in coordination with the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality – is promoting a rapid work mechanism for the Environmental Quality Services Company (the executive arm) to enter the area and coordinate investigation and remediation work with the developers. It should be emphasized that the Environmental Quality Services Company is prepared to carry out work simultaneously on several plots at the site, in a way that will help continue to advance the plans alongside responsible environmental treatment.
In addition, the Ministry of Environmental Protection – in coordination with the Israel Land Authority – is currently conducting an inquiry and examination regarding the possible presence of PFAS contaminants in additional complexes that are in planning and construction stages, and in complexes that have undergone marketing processes. The goal is to assess the potential risk level from these contaminants and ensure professional and early treatment, as needed. Within this framework, the Ministry is examining the need to update historical surveys and sampling plans in various complexes at sites where PFAS compounds were used, or alternatively, at sites where PFAS components were found in groundwater.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection will continue to accompany the developers, update them on developments, and ensure that the treatment is carried out efficiently and transparently, allowing for the continued execution of the projects, while fully safeguarding public health and the environment.
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