Israel Fails to Record Minutes for Emergency Sea Chemical Dumping Decision
Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection failed to record minutes for an emergency meeting authorizing BlueGreen to dump chemicals near Ashkelon to fight an algal bloom, raising transparency concerns.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection failed to produce a protocol for the inter-ministerial committee meeting that authorized the dumping of chemicals into the sea, leaving no official record of the considerations and explanations behind the decision to allow the company BlueGreen to conduct an algae-destruction experiment. The ministry cited extreme time pressure due to the national water crisis as the reason for the lack of documentation.
The chemical dispersal, which took place near major desalination plants and subsequently prompted the Ministry of Health to temporarily ban fishing in the area, has so far failed to reduce water turbidity. Algae continue to bloom near the desalination facilities, disrupting their operations. While the Ministry of Energy emphasizes that the national water system remains fully functional, the duration and long-term consequences of the crisis remain unknown.
National Water Emergency
In late August, an unprecedented algal bloom shut down five of Israel's six major desalination plants, triggering a nationwide water supply crisis. In response, the inter-ministerial committee for sea dumping permits—chaired by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and including representatives from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture—approved an emergency experiment to disperse chemicals to eliminate the algae. The operation was led by the Water Authority and the company BlueGreen.
According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Water Authority, the chemicals used are approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They were dispersed over a 9-kilometer stretch, approximately one kilometer off the coast of Ashkelon. Although the ministry issued an authorization letter to BlueGreen, the specific chemicals used were not detailed in the document.
Health Concerns and Lack of Transparency
Following the chemical dispersal, the food control division at the Ministry of Health recommended a total ban on fishing in the treated area due to concerns over acute and chronic toxicity, as well as the bioaccumulation of pollutants in fish tissues. Conversely, the Water Authority and the Ministry of Energy dismissed these concerns, stating that "the beaches are safe for public use" and that there is no public health risk.
This discrepancy has raised serious governance and transparency issues. A Calcalist investigation revealed that the committee approving the release of these substances into the sea did not record any minutes of the meeting. Consequently, there is no documentation of the professional opinions, reservations, or debates that guided the decision-makers.
To monitor the environmental impact, the ministry ordered BlueGreen to use drones to document the chemical dispersal and track its effectiveness up to 48 hours post-treatment, as well as to monitor any potential fish or marine life mortality along the shoreline. To date, no monitoring results have been released to the public.
In response, the Ministry of Environmental Protection stated:
"Given the emergency crisis in the seawater desalination sector, and following an urgent request from the Water Authority to examine emergency solutions, the inter-ministerial committee was convened on an extremely tight schedule. Due to the exceptional circumstances and urgency, no transcript was recorded. The official decision document reflects the core professional discussion and the unanimous decision, including the conditions and limitations set for the operation."
