April 29, 2014

BEIRUT: Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk called Monday for the immediate suspension of work in all illegal stone and sand quarries and urged action to be taken, including sealing the areas with wax, in a letter to Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk.

The letter stated that over 80 stone and sand quarries across Lebanon were found to be illegal following field inspections carried out by a specialized team. It said the work of these quarries “is causing significant damage to the environment and is affecting groundwater and natural scenery” and that evading paying the fees “causes grave damage to the state treasury.”

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on April 29, 2014, on page 3.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Apr-29/254716-environment-minister-slams-illegal-quarries.ashx#ixzz30ViMKSNy
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)