Prime Minister Saad Hariri chaired a meeting at the Grand Serail on Wednesday with several ministers and heads of municipalities where discussions focused on the options available as concerns emerge over a new garbage crisis after the closure of Costa Brava landfill.
“The meeting was good and productive. Closure of the Costa Brava landfill is an old decision that was postponed,” said State Minister for Parliament Affairs Mahmoud Qmati after the meeting. “It is not linked to any political development,” he assured.
He added that “sanitary landfills are a temporary solution until the root solutions are reached,” noting that “a road map is being prepared to solve the waste problem in Lebanon entirely.”
The meeting was held in the presence of Ministers: Ali Hassan Khalil, Mahmoud Qmati and Fadi Jreissati; and the head of the Southern Suburbs Municipalities Mohammed Dergham, head of Ghobeiry’s Municipality Maen al Khalil, head of Haret Hreik Municipality Ziad Waked, head of Burj al-Brajneh Municipality Atef Mansour, head of Mrayyjeh Municipality Samir Abi Khalil, head of Choueifat Municipality Shdid Hanna.
Southern Beirut municipalities said on Monday they will prevent the garbage of Beirut, Baabda and Mount Lebanon from entering the landfill.
MTV station said that the garbage crisis will “probably surface again” following the decision of head of the Southern Suburbs Municipalities to stop receiving trash from Beirut, Baabda and Mount Lebanon.
“We will prevent the garbage of Beirut, Baabda and Mount Lebanon from entering to Costa Brava. We will only receive trash from Choueifat and Beirut’s southern suburbs,” said Dergham on Tuesday.
In remarks he made to MTV, Beirut Mayor Jamal Itani said: “We truly wish the garbage crisis does not return to the streets of Beirut. The waste in Beirut is also produced by around one million individuals who visit the capital daily (from various Lebanese region),” he said.
Itani said he “regrets” rejections they face to establish garbage incinerators in the capital: “It is regretful how no one rejects the presence of around 950 garbage incinerators around Lebanon, meanwhile we face opposition to build ones in Beirut which badly needs sustainable solution.”
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/263032-grand-serail-meeting-tackles-waste-dumping-at-costa-brava