Sharon-Carmel Towns Join Supreme Court Petition Against Power Plant
The Sharon-Carmel Association of Towns joined a Supreme Court petition against the "Orot Yitzhak" power plant, citing severe health and environmental risks.
The Sharon-Carmel Association of Towns for Environmental Protection submitted a preliminary response to the Supreme Court on Monday, confirming its joining of a petition filed by local authorities against the construction of the "Orot Yitzhak" power plant in Emek Hefer.
The association has joined forces with the Menashe Regional Council and other bodies in the legal battle to cancel the project's approval. Petitioners argue that the government approved the plant's construction without consulting the Ministry of Environmental Protection and while ignoring alternative locations.
According to the petitioners, the move will lead to a sharp rise in pollutant concentrations, create security risks, and cause severe ecological damage to the rural area. Association Chairman Eli Abuutbul stressed that the Sharon-Carmel region accounts for less than five percent of Israel's territory yet generates more than twenty percent of its fossil-fuel-based electricity.
"The residents of the region are not the backyard of the energy sector," Abuutbul stated, adding that the state is imposing an environmental burden that will severely harm public health. Menashe Regional Council Head Ilan Sade noted that monitoring data points to a harsh reality, stating that dozens of people die annually in the region from air-pollution-related illnesses.
Represented by attorney Amnon Yitzhaknia, the petitioners are demanding an immediate halt to planning procedures. They insist that any future decisions be contingent upon the formulation of a comprehensive national strategic plan that takes into account the cumulative impacts on public health.
