Lumps of tar are piling up on Israeli beaches due to the stormy weather and will continue to do so for at least 48 hours, the Environmental Protection Ministry reported on Wednesday.
The ministry instructed local councils to begin emergency protocols to get cleaning crews in place for Thursday when the storm is expected to pass.The intense Wednesday cold and storms make large-scale cleaning efforts impossible, the report explained.
Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said that the tar is “of an unknown source” and that her ministry is investigating concerning its origin.
Tar lumps were sighted at 14 local councils so far and experts reason they are the result of an oil spill from a shipping vessel which passed along the coast.
The ministry is treating the event as an inter-local pollution incident for now.