Haifa Chemicals Shuts Plants, Fires Workers
Israeli potassium nitrate and phosphates producer Haifa Chemicals is shutting down its plants and dismissing all of its 800 workers. The announcement on Aug. 2 came after the company failed to find a solution for its Haifa Bay ammonia tank, in February identified as a “major health hazard” and ordered closed.
For years, the tank, which stores 12,000 t/y of ammonia to feed Haifa Chemicals’ fertilizer and phosphates plants at Haifa and Mishor Rotem respectively, has been the subject of a dispute with residents and environmental groups. Last week, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the tank to be emptied by Sept. 18.
According to the Israel National News network, Jules Trump, co-founder of Florida-based Trump Group, Haifa Chemicals’ owner, wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying: "To our distress, after tremendous efforts, we reached a point where we will not be able to maintain the company's activity in Israel. To the best of our understanding, we will not gain permission to return to activity in the near future, so we have no choice but to close the company immediately."
The Florida-based Trump Group has no connection with US President Donald Trump.
Dismissal notices are to be sent out at the beginning of next week. The company is said to have lost about 100 million Israeli shekel ($28 million) since the ammonia tank was ordered to close.
