Environment Ministry Discloses NIS 1.13 Million Penalty Over Jerusalem Fuel Station

The Environmental Protection Ministry disclosed on November 2 that it had imposed administrative penalties totaling NIS 1,132,320 on Delek Menta Roadside Retail Ltd. over air-pollution controls at the Mifgash Oranim fuel station on Pierre Koenig Street in Jerusalem. The penalties were imposed in September, following an inspection carried out in October 2024. The ministry identified three breaches: inadequate records from continuous monitoring of the fuel-vapor recovery system, periodic testing that was not performed often enough, and missing sealing gaskets at the filling openings of underground storage tanks. The total comprises three penalties after regulatory reductions. Dr. Yitzhak Kedem, director of the ministry's transport division, said: “Deficiencies in sealing, monitoring or control are not merely a technical matter.” The ministry said properly functioning recovery equipment, monitoring and sealing can reduce fuel-vapor emissions by approximately 85%. These vapors contain volatile organic compounds, including benzene, which is toxic and carcinogenic. The company reported replacing the vapor-recovery system and installing gaskets, addressing some of the deficiencies. The announcement therefore describes both the financial enforcement action and corrective work reported by the operator. It does not describe all of the inspection findings as having been resolved.