Akkar tells Lebanese officials : We don’t want your garbage

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A car is seen between a pile of garbage covered with white pesticide in the Palestinian refugee camp of Sabra in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, July 23, 2015. The Lebanese cabinet has failed to agree on a...   (Associated Press)
A car is seen between a pile of garbage covered with white pesticide in the Palestinian refugee camp of Sabra in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, July 23, 2015. The Lebanese cabinet has failed to agree on a… (Associated Press)

Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam along with a number of Future  Movement officials, and Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq have been studying potential solutions to the waste disposal crisis. Dumping the garbage in the northern region of Akkar was one of their options, but Akkar told them to keep their garbage according to a  report by al-Hayat daily  on Saturday.

The report  said that Akkar officials have “adamantly refused”  to allowing its land to be used as landfills  “following years of neglect by politicians.”

The talks over a solution have been tackled by Salam,Future Movement chief MP Saad Hariri, and  ,Future Movement parliamentary bloc leader  MP Fouad Siniora, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, and the Environment Minister.

Akkar is reportedly one of the most neglected areas and for this reason its  official  were outraged that the politicians only thought of Akkar   when it came to disposing their garbage .”

On the other hand the Lebanese  officials criticized Akkar for neglecting the maintenance of the sewage system and government hospital in the northern region.

They also criticized it for the absence of any Lebanese University branches similar to  other regions in the country, reported al-Hayat.

Moreover, they said that the landfill project proposed by politicians does not have the proper barriers that would prevent the waste from seeping into ground water used for potable water in Akkar.

The officials have declared that allowing Akkar to  dispose the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon “will come at a price.”

This issue was discussed in a meeting between Saniora and Akkar MPs Hadi Hbeish and Moeen al-Merhebi on Friday.

The two lawmakers also addressed the matter with the Interior Minister.

The minister sought to reassure the residents of Akkar, urging them “against viewing the politicians’ proposals as a challenge.”

For his part, Hbeish rejected any talk of dumping the waste in Akkar, reiterating the locals’ condemnation of the state of negligence in the region.

“It’s not enough that it suffers from neglect, but now they are seeking to turn it into a dump instead of allowing it to prosper like over provinces,” he lamented.

He called on the government “to take the bold and exceptional decision to treat Akkar equally with other areas regarding development projects that are desperately needed and that can no longer be delayed.”

Beirut and the Mount Lebanon area were plunged in a waste disposal crisis following last week’s closure of the Naameh landfill without finding an alternative.

Garbage has been piling on the streets of the capital and Mount Lebanon after dumpsters overflowed with tons of trash.

Some people have resorted to burning the waste to tackle the problem amid the government’s ongoing failure to find a solution to the crisis.

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6 responses to “Akkar tells Lebanese officials : We don’t want your garbage”

  1. Michaelinlondon1234 Avatar
    Michaelinlondon1234

    An outer breakwater to Beruits harbour 500 meters further out and fill the space in between with the garbage.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      An environmentalist throws it into the sea?? Tsk. They already have Mt Sidon killing fish.

      1. Michaelinlondon1234 Avatar
        Michaelinlondon1234

        I was thinking reclaiming of land to increase port capacity.
        Keep in mind that sea levels have risen hundreds of feet since the last Ice age and expected to rise another 3 or four feet….
        So a small “hill” as an outer break water is possibly a good idea. If you got really creative you could make it in to a public park. Half a mile wide 2 miles long…That would be a lot of rubbish….

        1. Hannibal Avatar
          Hannibal

          Local employment, and no Lebanese is willing to do that so they will employ foreign hands which we have plenty of…
          Building modern recycling plants will reduce solid waste to a sustainable minimum with a composting program the plastic free compost can be reused as fertilizers. The solution is out there but alas the country is run by thugs.

          1. Michaelinlondon1234 Avatar
            Michaelinlondon1234

            Building modern recycling plants helps but it is not a total solution. I think it is Sweden which has done a deal for German waste. They use it in high temperature incinerators to generate energy. But you still have ash…
            Local quarries to supply the stone for the new break water…
            Because you are not carrying the rubbish far it reduces cost.
            It is a quick easy low cost solution…

          2. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            The plastic is buried with the uncomposted waste under the olive trees …Zgharta ..

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