Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians are exposed daily to severe air pollution at the Hashalom train station adjacent to the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, the Ministry of the Environment fears. The ministry’s concerns are due to the train station’s closed structure over the Ayalon Highway, which is used by hundreds of thousands of vehicles daily and which emit multiple pollutants into the air. In addition, locomotives also emit air pollution, which is trapped within the building.
The Ministry of the Environment says it has received numerous complaints from soldiers and civilians worried out air pollution at the train station. The main pollutants are nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and organic and inorganic particles.
The area of the Hashalom train station is also exposed to a long list of pollutants unconnected with transport. For example, across the street from the Azrieli Towers is an Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) facility whose land has been severely contaminated by spills of hazardous materials over the years. There is concern that these spills have caused emissions, which have accumulated in closed structures. Air pollution has also been detected at the nearby IDF headquarters, which is surrounded by pollutants on every side.
The Ministry of the Environment has twice asked Israel Railways general manager Ofer Linchevski to conduct air quality tests at the Hashalom train station, but no answer has yet been received. The first request was in January and the second in a month ago. The manager of the ministry’s Tel Aviv District said that in the absence of a permit from Israel Railways’ management, the Ministry cannot conduct air pollution tests at the train station.
Israel Railways’ permission is necessary because the test involves positioning detectors on the train platforms and connecting them to the electricity supply. The ministry told Israel Railways in its letters that the detectors would not disturb railway passengers or trains.
Israel Railways management said in response that it was reviewing the request and would probably give a positive response.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 20, 2007
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