Shea Levin — text status

Israel's Bazan refinery group disclosed Monday that the shutdown of its Gadiv plant at the Haifa complex is costing about half a million dollars a day, and said it is considering legal action against the Environmental Protection Ministry. The plant has been idle for 18 straight days after abnormal benzene levels during maintenance, with combined losses at about $12.5 million. Bazan wrote that even under the ministry's stringent requirements it has not been given approval to resume the halted overhaul, and the company is examining turning to the courts.