The Ammonia stored in an enormous tank in Haifa has been the subject of concern for many over recent years. Hizbullah has threatened to target the tank, which would be the equivalent of an atomic bomb. Elected officials have been calling for relocating the tank for years, but nothing has changed to date.

However, on Sunday 16 Shevat, Haifa Justice Jada Basul ordered the tank emptied of its contents within ten days, no later.

The instructed moving the ammonia to alternative sites to ensure there is a sufficient amount on hand. Experts explain Israel requires 3,000 tons while the tank store four times the amount.

Environmental activists, who have been working to rid Haifa of the ammonia for years, praised the court’s ruling. It remains to be seen if the ammonia is moved in the court-appointed time frame or requests for extensions are filed, with the latter being a more likely scenario.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)