JERUSALEM, Oct 31 - A 2014 oil spill by a secretive state-run company that flooded an Israeli nature reserve caused 281 million shekels ($76 million) worth of damage, Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry sent its estimate to a mediator for its case against the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company (EAPC), a major oil distributor in Israel. Worried about national security, the government maintains tight control over EAPC, and much of its business dealings are under military censorship.
There is also a criminal investigation into EAPC over what expert called the worst spill in Israel's history.
console.log("catid body is "+catID);if(catID==120){document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none";var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js'; script.setAttribute('pubname','jpostcom'); script.setAttribute('widgetname','0011r00001lcD1i_12258'); document.getElementsByClassName('divAnyClip')[0].appendChild(script);}else if(catID!=69 && catID!=2){ document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none"; var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://static.vidazoo.com/basev/vwpt.js'; script.setAttribute('data-widget-id','60fd6becf6393400049e6535'); document.getElementsByClassName('divVidazoo')[0].appendChild(script); }In December 2014, a pipe burst in southern Israel, pouring millions of liters of oil into a desert nature reserve. EAPC was already forced to pay 65 million shekels for a clean-up and environmental rehabilitation, which is included in its total estimate of damage, the ministry said. ($1 = 3.7170 shekels)
