An application to certify a class-action lawsuit against two Israel Chemicals Ltd. subsidiaries over alleged water pollution was filed in an Israeli court, the company said in a March 11 release.
The subsidiaries are Periclase Dead Sea Ltd. and Rotem Amfert Negev Ltd.
Professor Alon Tal, chairman of Tel Aviv University's department of public policy, is spearheading the lawsuit along with a group of academics and environmental groups, Israeli media reported. Israel Chemicals, also known as ICL, did not name the plaintiffs in its release.
ICL said the plaintiffs are seeking certification of the class action, which alleges the subsidiaries are responsible for polluting the Ein Bokek stream and groundwater. In the suit, the plaintiffs seek to represent the Israeli public and visitors "who were exposed and came into contact with the Bokek stream," ICL said.
"The suit cites data indicating a 1,000% increase in the presence of salinity and other contaminants over the past few years that can be traced back to the factories in the Rotem plains," The Jerusalem Post quoted Tal as saying.
The case and the allegations have not been heard in court, and ICL said it is "reviewing the application and considering its legal steps." An ICL spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment late in the Israeli business day March 12.
