Jerusalem, 13 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The future of ICL Rotem (formerly Rotem Amfert Negev) hangs in the balance as crucial regulatory battles peak this month. the Negev-based phosphate plant, owned by ICL Group, faces potential shutdown and the layoff of 950 direct workers if environmental permits for its waste storage are denied.
The National Planning and Building Council is currently debating the expansion of the plant’s Phosphogypsum Storage Pools 4 and 5. Company officials warn that Pool 5 will hit maximum capacity by April 2027, threatening to halt all production lines.
Environmental groups fiercely oppose the extension, citing severe risks to the Yehuda Aquifer and groundwater, recalling the devastating 2017 Ashalim Stream ecological disaster.
Southern municipalities, including Dimona and Arad, are urging government intervention to prevent economic catastrophe for thousands of families reliant on the industrial employer.