Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut municipality's struggle to prevent air pollution that emanates from the Judea and Samaria region continues.
On Sunday this week, a working meeting was held between the mayor, Haim Bibas, and Colonel Anan Fares, commander of the Binyamin Brigade, the brigade responsible, among other things, for enforcement, preventing waste from entering and fires in the area.
The meeting was attended by Councilor Shimon Guetta, Municipality Director General Yoram Carmon, resident representatives Eli Brina and Dr. Anat Avital, and other representatives. The meeting is part of a series of planned meetings led by Mayor Haim Bibas with all responsible parties, with the aim of connecting everyone for comprehensive, coordinated and effective activity.
The discussion focused on improving coordination between Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut Municipality and the Binyamin Brigade, strengthening cooperation in the field, with an emphasis on preventing waste fires, handling events in real time, and increasing enforcement.
The meeting also raised the issue of enforcing the Major General's orders in the territories of Judea and Samaria against waste offenders and emphasized the need to move from decisions and declarations to actual implementation, including using existing tools to create a real deterrent.
The importance of ongoing and continuous monitoring of activity in the field, receiving regular and orderly reports, and a clear demand for receiving periodic reports on enforcement activities carried out by the Civil Administration was also emphasized. It was noted that daily monitoring is already being currently carried out, including systematic documentation and reporting; but it is necessary to make the process institutionalized, coordinated, and transparent among all parties operating in the area.
The participants in the meeting agreed that discussions and coordination are not enough, and that the current stage requires practical actions on the ground, a permanent presence, and effective enforcement, which will lead to a real improvement in the situation and reduce harm to residents.
During the meeting, the issue of the air quality monitoring vehicle that was stationed in the city was also raised. Initial data provided by the Ministry of Environmental Protection indicates that no significant benzene exceptions were recorded, and therefore air pollution in the city was defined as low. However, following these findings, the Ministry of Environmental Protection removed the vehicle without prior coordination with the municipality.
As a reminder, following the move, the municipality's CEO, Yoram Carmon, wrote an official letter to the district director at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, demanding clarification. The municipality emphasizes that air quality monitoring is a critical tool for protecting the health of residents and strengthening enforcement, and any change requires transparency, coordination, and clear explanations.
Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut municipality clarifies that the municipality will continue to act with determination, hold working meetings with all parties, demand reports, results and implementation on the ground, and update residents on an ongoing basis.
