Barir Field (Sde Barir)
The Sde Barir site, situated in the Arad Valley, is the only significant remaining phosphate reserve in Israel. Industry and government experts view it as the only alternative to the active phosphate fields that will be depleted within the next few years. Considered to be of high quality, the phosphate reserves at Sde Barir could provide the raw material for essential products for humanity for approximately 25 more years.
The landscape around the field is not ecologically sensitive, and is sufficiently distant from population centers while relatively close to the processing plants located at Mishor Rotem. The field’s expected yield
per square kilometer is the highest in the Negev, offering the added ecological benefit of disrupting a relatively small area for large quantities of product.
The landscape around the field is not ecologically sensitive, and is sufficiently distant from population centers while relatively close to the processing plants located at Mishor Rotem.
If mining approval is not received for South Zohar, there will be a significant impact on ICL’s future mining reserves in the medium and long term. This would have far-reaching implications on life in the Negev region and the livelihood of some 7,500 families.
ICL has undertaken to fulfill the following conditions, among others, in respect to mining at Sde Barir:
- A one year pilot before taking the final decision to mine the entire field;
- Assuming personal accountability down to the mine’s managerial level;
- Cessation of mining during unusual meteorological conditions;
- Authorizing the Environmental Unit of the Eastern Negev in Arad to suspend mining work during difficult meteorological conditions;
- Ongoing monitoring of the field before and during mining the field;
- Applying the most stringent standards to mining works
at Sde Barir, including the use of innovative dustcontrol
technologies during mining.
In February 2017, the Committee for Principle Planning Matters, decided to continue the advancement of the mining in the South Zohar field (which includes Sde Barir). In April 2017, the National Council recommended to the government to approve National Outline Plan (NOP 14B) and determined that Barir field will be advanced as part of a detailed National Outline Plan. In December 2017, a discussion was held related to the preparation of the detailed plan, which was approved by the government’s Housing Cabinet in January 2018. On January 29, 2018, the Minister of Health filed an appeal of the said approval, requiring compliance with the Ministry of Health’s recommendation to conduct a survey regarding the health impact in each site included in NOP 14B. In April 2018, the NOP 14B was formally published.
In July 2018, a petition was submitted to the Israeli Supreme Court of Justice by the municipality of Arad against the National Planning and Building Council, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Rotem, to revoke the approval of NOP 14B. In January 2019, residents of the Bedouin diaspora in the “Arad Valley” submitted a petition to the High Court of Justice (hereinafter – the Court) against the National Council, the Government of Israel and Rotem, in which the Court was requested to cancel the provisions of NOP 14B and the decision of the National Council from December 5, 2017, regarding to the advancement of a detailed plan for phosphate mining in the South Zohar field. In addition, the Court was requested to issue an interim injunction preventing the implementation of the NOP 14B instructions and the National Council’s said decision until a final resolution.
There is no certainty regarding the timelines for the submission of the Plans, the approval thereof, or of further developments with respect to the South Zohar field.
For more information see Item 4 – Information on the Company— D. Property, Plant and Equipment— Mineral Extraction and Mining Operations”, “Concessions and Mining Rights” and in ICL’s 2018 Annual Report.
