The Marine Unit of the Ministry of Environmental Protection has completed a two-day national exercise, which simulates a scenario of an oil pollution incident at the EPA terminal that occurred due to a failure to unload a tanker; The leak allegedly endangers the waters of the Gulf of Eilat, the shores of Eilat and the northernmost coral reef in the world;
When the signal was given, the scenario was activated according to which while a tanker was unloading at the pier at the Eilat EPA terminal, oil (oil) began to flow into the sea following the failure, with an estimated amount of about 30 tons of fuel. The event was initially set at Tier-1 level, after which the Minister of Environmental Protection, Tamar Zandberg, approved his promotion to Tier-3 at the level of national management. The situation room was opened as part of the exercise at the sea pollution prevention station in Eilat, as well as the situation room in Haifa.
As part of the exercise, the local emergency plans (Eilat Municipality, the Nature and Parks Authority) and the factory emergency plans in the Gulf of Eilat (EPA, Eilat Port, Navy) were activated. The exercise was also participated in the exercise, which together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection operates a network of marine emergency volunteers who will support the Eilat municipality in the cleaning operations on the beaches.
Oil is the term by law that includes all types of fuels and oils of fossil origin that are transported in the sea including crude oil and distillates such as fuel oil, diesel and gasoline.
Galit Cohen, Director General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection: Galit Cohen, Director General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection: It is necessary to strengthen the budgets and manpower standards of the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s marine unit in order to deepen the State of Israel’s preparedness for marine pollution incidents – which happen and will happen. ”
As part of the exercise, surveys and an ecological survey were conducted on the “polluted” beaches. The “Emergency Sea” volunteer network of the EcoOation Association, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, registered volunteers for assistance with beach care through the Eilat Municipality, which operates in the field. In addition, the ministry performed seawater sampling as well as air quality monitoring at the beaches to maintain the safety of the cleaners, who received appropriate respiratory protection before work began.
Galit Cohen, Director General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection: “In this exercise, the Ministry of Environmental Protection has shown that there is excellent preparation on the part of the Ministry’s Marine Protection Unit, and how important this body is to the State of Israel. We intend to strengthen the unit and lead to the enactment of the Talmud Law (National Plan for Preparedness and Response to Sea Pollution Incidents), which will regulate the preparation of the various emergency bodies and facilities along the Gulf of Eilat and the Mediterranean, for emergencies. It should be remembered that for all the things the firm leads, significant additions of manpower and budgets are also required. Once we have completed the investment in the required preparation at all the beaches and places, the amount in the fund of the Sea Pollution Prevention Fund will not be enough. What needs to be done, we know – but resources are needed to do it. In the summary of the last two days, a leap forward can be seen in the cooperation with all the factors operating in the area, with the most significant being the joining of the defense establishment, the Home Front Command, the National Emergency Authority, the Israel Police, fire and rescue and other bodies. There is someone to trust, and practice is important – because incidents of sea pollution have happened and more will happen. “
According to Fred Arzuan, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s Marine Unit and Director of the National Event in the exercise: Participants will have to deal with oil retention and pumping and prevention of its spread and reduction of damage to the marine environment in general and the many natural values in the Gulf – first and foremost the northern coral reef in the world. The exercise promotes cooperation between the bodies required to act effectively and in a coordinated manner, under the management of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. “
Assaf Haberi manages the Eilat area at the Nature and Parks Authority: Marine pollution in fuels is known to cause many physiological systems of animals in the marine environment, such as marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and various invertebrates, including corals that are the building blocks of coral reefs in Eilat. Damage to corals is manifested, among other things, in damage to coral tissues, their ability to feed, reproduce and the ability of corals to cope with climate change. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that threatens the existence of many coral reefs in the world. Due to the high resistance of Eilat Bay corals to rising seawater temperatures, this phenomenon has not occurred so far in the bay. “Studies show that marine pollution in fuels increases the sensitivity of corals to the phenomenon of bleaching, and thus we will lose the rare opportunity we have to protect a very important ecosystem that is declining elsewhere in the world.”