The Israeli municipality in Haifa has responded to the appeal by Haifa Chemicals against a court ruling that its “hazardous” ammonia tank must be emptied soon, Safa news agency reported on Sunday.
According to the municipality, the ammonia tank poses a massive threat that could cause an environmental disaster and “hundreds of thousands” could die. Furthermore, said the council, Haifa Chemicals uses the facility without a licence.
Read: Haifa ammonia tanks risking lives of thousands
Last week, the court in Haifa decided that the ammonia tank must be emptied within 10 days due to the threat posed to local residents. Last month, a report commissioned by the municipality said that the tank is a potential target in any future war.
The secretary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah has warned that he would target the tank in any potential war with Israel. Hassan Nasrallah described it as a “nuclear bomb.”
The tank can hold 12,000 tons of ammonia used to make fertilisers, pesticides and explosives. Haifa Chemicals is owned by a US holding company, Trance Resource Inc (TRI). This is an excess of around 7,000 tons over what is actually needed.
Read: Hezbollah chief threatens to target Israeli nuke plant
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