At the height of the odor crisis in Rishon LeZion: The monitoring station displayed incorrect benzene data, the Ministry of Environmental Protection knew and remained silent
A new monitoring station in Rishon LeZion displayed incorrect benzene data that caused panic. The Ministry of Environmental Protection knew about the malfunction for three days and did not remove the data until approached by Shkuf. The station was eventually removed for repair.
At the height of the severe odor crisis in Rishon LeZion, a new monitoring station installed in the city displayed incorrect data on benzene concentrations, causing panic among residents and was eventually taken offline. The station, placed at the Rishon LeZion landing strip only two weeks earlier, began showing high levels of benzene, a known carcinogen. Prof. Adi Wolfson, a sustainability expert, published about it on social media. After inquiries by Shkuf, the data disappeared and later the station was completely removed from the air. The Ministry of Environmental Protection admitted that the malfunction was identified as early as Saturday (October 31), but did not remove the data until approached by the media. The ministry stated that the device was sent for repair and that benzene concentrations in the area meet environmental standards. The article points to a chain of failures in the handling by authorities, including the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Netivei Israel, which led to public panic.