Tal
When the Carmel Chemicals Factory announced that it was expanding its factory in the seashore town of Atlit, the response of the local community was emphatic and decidedly negative. Leading the opposition was the “Kachol Yarok” (Green and Blue) Association, an organization that primarily works in the coastal region south of Haifa. The factory proposed to integrate a new production line for a brand of glue that it termed perfectly harmless. But neighborhood activists from Tel Aviv were identified who described the “Verolit” glue plant as an environmental disaster which they had fought long and hard to shut down.
The Carmel Chemicals factory already had a long history of violating air emission standards, in particular because of non-point sources leading to high incidence of lung related diseases among local residents. Local residents decided to organize a protest. Citizens from miles around joined a surprisingly large crowd – which was arguably constituted the single largest demonstration around an air pollution hazard in Israeli history. The demonstration organized by “Kachol Yarok” was funded by the Tal Fund – which covered the expenses of transportation, signage, security costs.
Contact: Green and Blue
The Association for Environmental Quality in the Carmel Coast
WEB: www.cachol-yarok.com