New law approved in the Knesset: Cleaning up land. Before approval of any project, the possible contamination of the land will have to be analyzed and if there is suspected contamination, the contaminer will have to clean up the land. The law is retroactive for 25 years. The estimated cost of the studies and the soil purification is 35 billion shekel (10 billion US$).
Basically it will start with petrol stations, then chemical plants, and metal foundries. Makhteshim better moves fast to China before it is forced into bankrupcy.
The idea is to be like the EPA but I think we are becoming like Mexico. Mexico has translated American legislation and its regulations are extremely severe. In fact, the regulators pass their time attending courses and writing interministerial memos, and never go out because there are no official cars nor other resources.
May be it is the rainy winter weather, but this soil decontamination initiative makes me feel depressed.
PS: This anti-soil-contamination effort's goal is, in part, to protect the all-important Coastal aquifer. It is the only underground freshwater reservoir that is not disputed by our thirsty neighbors. However, climate is changing and this aquifer will get shrink and get saltier as the Eastern Mediterranean rises as much as 25 inches over the next century. Seawater will contaminate coastal rivers, lakes, and groundwater, turning potable water into salty, brackish water. Why are we trying to save something that is doomed? Instead we should invest in desalination.
1 comments:
I doubt the seas will rise in the next century. Still unconventional water technology is fascinating and one has to wonder if it might become a profitable investment like solar energy. There was an experiment in rain-making in Dubai that apparently succeeded, so maybe that will prove cheaper than desalinization.
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