Illegal Spilling of Sewage Water into Sea Leads to Significant Fine

The Tel Aviv Magistrates’ Court has set a fine totaling ILS 340,000 on Kishle House (which operates the Setai Hotel in Jaffa) and on two company officers after the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection filed an indictment against them for dumping wastewater into the sea without a permit.

The company drew groundwater from an onsite well for use in the hotel’s air conditioning system and dumped the wastewater into the sea without a permit, in violation of the Prevention of Sea Pollution (Dumping of Waste) Law.

Within the framework of a plea deal, the court convicted the company of dumping waste from a ground source. It also convicted two company officers who admitted they had failed to fulfill their responsibilities as officers (by not taking action to prevent the offenses).

In addition to the cash fine, an ILS 850,000 bond was imposed on the company, and ILS 80,000 and ILS 60,000 bonds were imposed on the two officers, to refrain from committing a similar offense in the next three years.

Rani Amir, director of the National Marine Environmental Protection Unit in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, commented on the imposition of the fine: “Dumping waste into the sea without a permit is a serious offense affecting people and the marine environment. The National Marine Environmental Protection Unit in the Ministry of Environmental Protection takes a stern approach toward offenses such as these. It will continue to perform enforcement actions against violations of the Prevention of Sea Pollution Law.”