Release of Olive Mill Waste to Rivers

Olive mill waste (akar) from the Nablus / Tulkarem area is released into the Zommer Stream every Fall following the olive harvesting season, creating massive pollution to the river and damage to the environment. The Zommer stream after crossing the Green Line is called the Alexander stream, that eventually carries the pollution into the Mediterranean Sea. Solutions are available. The akar could be collected on the Palestinian side and then transferred to the Israeli side to be released during a flood. The better practice and option applied in Israel is to have farmers lightly disperse of the akar on agricultural fields, applied as a fertilizer. Both options require enforcement and cooperation of governing and municipal authorities on both sides of the Green Line.