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January 2010 saw the imposition of stiff fines on polluters of all types in Israel:- Avco Chemical Ltd. and its managers were fined a total of 1.1 million shekels (nearly $300,000) for improper treatment and storage of hazardous chemicals.
- Peretz Sewage Services and its employees were fined 228,000 shekels (more than $60,000) for discharging gas station wastewater to the public sewage system.
- The Municipality of Herzliya was fined 140,000 shekels (nearly $38,000) for the discharge of sewage from land-based sources to the sea.
1.1 Million Shekel Fine to Avco Chemicals On January 3, 2010, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court fined Avco Chemicals 800,000 shekels for improper treatment and storage of the hazardous materials in its use. The company operates a plant in the Beit Shemesh area for the production and trade of chemicals and pigment colors for the textile industry. In addition to the fine, the company was obligated to sign a 600,000 shekel commitment to refrain from similar offenses for three years and the court activated a previous commitment for 320,000 shekels as an overlapping fine. A 200,000 shekel fine or 20 months imprisonment in lieu of the fine were imposed by the court on the manager and chief chemist of the plant, in addition to a financial commitment, for the same sum, to refrain from similar offenses for three years. A third defendant, the manager of the plant was fined 100,000 shekels or 10 months of imprisonment and was obligated to sign a commitment in the same sum. The defendants were found guilty of violating the conditions of their hazardous material permit (poisons permit) under aggravating circumstances and of non-compliance with the obligation of an office holder in a corporation to do everything possible to prevent offenses, including offenses under the Hazardous Substances Law, 1968 and the Business Licensing Law. 228,000 Shekel Fine to a Sewage Services Company On January 7, 2010, the Herzliya Magistrates Court convicted a Nes Ziona sewage services company (Peretz Sewage Services), its manager and the drivers and operators of the sewage collection vehicles who were employed by the company of discharging the wastewater collected in gas stations throughout the country to the public sewage system in 2005 - 2006. The company pumps gas station wastewater and transports it. The company and its employees were charged with offenses under the Water Law, 1959, the Water Regulations (Prevention of Water Pollution) (Cesspools and Septic Tanks), 1992, Water Regulations (Prevention of Water Pollution) (Metals and other Pollutants), 2000 and the Business Licensing Law, 1968. The defendants were fined a total of 228,000 shekels (120,000 shekel fine to the company, 80,000 shekels or four months imprisonment in lieu of the fine to the manager, and 7,000 shekels to each of the four drivers or a month's imprisonment in lieu of the fine). The defendants were also required to sign financial commitments to refrain from these offenses for a three year period, as follows: 240,000 shekel commitment by the company, 160,000 shekel commitment by the manager and 30,000 shekel commitments by each of the four other defendants. 140,000 Shekel Fine to the Municipality of Herzliya The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court convicted the Herzliya Municipality of discharging sewage from a land-based source to the sea in contravention to its discharge permit, an offense under the Prevention of Sea Pollution from Land-Based Sources Law, 1988 and the Water Law, 1959. In addition to a 140,000 shekel fine, the municipality was required to sign a 50,000 shekel commitment to refrain from offenses under the Water Law and a 100,000 shekel commitment to refrain from offenses under the Land-Based Sources Law. The offenses occurred in 2003, when the pipeline which transports effluents from the wastewater treatment plan to the sea was damaged during drilling operations by a cellular company during the process of laying underground transmission lines. During the repairs, effluents were discharged directly to open drainage channels and from there to the sea and coast. As a result, Herzliya's bathing beaches were closed for three days in July 2003. Criminal Law Enforcement in 2009 The most recent annual report of the Legal Division of Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection shows the following for 2009: - The Legal Division handled 462 criminal cases
- 98 new investigation were received by the Division in 2009
- 94 indictments were filed
- Outcomes of criminal enforcement showed 53 convictions or sentences of guilty without conviction and only two acquittals in the court of first instance.
- In ten appeals presented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and by defendants, the appeals court accepted the State's position in seven instances and the defendants' positions in three instances.
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