Will ‘Clean Up’ be dumped?

CLEAN Up Israel founder Phillip Foxman will shut down the organisation’s Australian operation unless somebody comes forward to take it over.

The businessman told The AJN he did not want to be seen to be hiding behind the Clean Up Israel name while in the midst of a legal battle with Wollondilly Shire Council and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) over the use of recycled waste on his rural property.

While confident of being cleared, Foxman said he would be happy to hand the organisation over for free to a “good home”.

He said he was proud of the organisation’s achievements. “What I’ve done far exceeded all my expectations, and Clean Up Israel will go on solid forever.”

Foxman, who has been accused of dumping asbestos-contaminated waste on his property in Wollondilly, maintains he has done nothing wrong and that the material was recycled road base to use in building council-approved roads on the land.

“The specifications say recycling contractors have to do everything they can to minimise asbestos in recycled products. We do that,” he said.

“But the problem is you get very, very small amounts of bonded fibro asbestos that get through the system … In my particular case I tipped 35,000 tonnes of material, they found two pieces – it’s unreasonable, but I’m getting bashed up from everyone.”

Foxman said he was particularly disappointed with Clean Up Australia chairman Ian Kiernan, who commented: “How do you say to people – we don’t want you to clean up?” to The Sydney Morning Herald in April 2011.

Foxman said that comment, coupled with a letter to the editor sent by Clean Up Australia in which the organisation suggested he was using Clean Up Israel as a form of “offset” against the allegations, was the final straw in walking away.

“Ian Kiernan doesn’t know what he’s talking about and I will show my dissatisfaction to his comments by talking with my feet,” he said.

Foxman said he had offered Clean Up Israel to the Australian branch of the JNF, but was told it wasn’t on their agenda. Outgoing JNF chief executive Rob Schneider told The AJN that Keren Kayemet already runs a clean-up in Israel, under the auspices of Clean Up the World, that is supported by the JNF in Australia.

Foxman said there were a number of green organisations in Israel he could possibly hand Clean Up Israel over to. “There’s still a few possibilities there, but if I had to walk away from it completely, we’ve done our job and Australia should stand tall to see what we’ve done there.”

GARETH NARUNSKY

Happier times … a crew gets ready to clean up.