BEIRUT: Greenpeace Lebanon warned
Thursday that there are hundreds of dangerous chemicals in the waters off the
country, which pose dangers to people and the environment.
A total of 30 samples were collected
for the study and the environmental watchdog’s new report shows that the
pollution is highest in Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon.
Rayan Makarem, a campaigner for the
non-governmental organization, presented the report, entitled “Lebanon’s Toxic
Coast: an overview of threats, problems and solutions,” and emphasized that the
responsibility for combating this problem lies with both the public and private
sectors.
“The situation, as it stands, is
very dangerous,” Makarem said, adding that Lebanon’s waters must be protected.
He called for a comprehensive law on waste management in the country, rather
than just a series of emergency laws.
He also stressed the need for Lebanon
to abide by the Barcelona Convention that the government has ratified, and
which was created to reduce pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.
“It is the responsibility of the
government to handle the issue of waste-water management through the
implementation of current plans to complete the waste-water infrastructure for
the country and stop the dumping of raw sewage directly into the
Mediterranean,” a statement from Greenpeace said.
“In addition, new legislation should
be passed to allow for a complete upheaval of the solid waste sector, which is
suffering from the absence of modern rules and regulations,” Makarem said.
He stressed that there was clear
evidence that the byproducts of industrial waste were damaging the environment
and added that private companies must work to halt this trend.
“Industries in Lebanon can and
should be able to control their emissions in accordance with existing
legislation ... as well as investing in improving their industrial process or
in the installation of the required filters, ” he said.
Makarem called on the Environment
Ministry to carry out its duties properly by confronting all violations of
environmental crimes.
He added that a study commissioned
by the ministry in 2005 had discussed the problems facing the Lebanese coast
but, “unfortunately, this study had been sitting in a drawer for the last seven
years.”
If necessary, Makarem said, the
ministry should bypass unnecessary bureaucratic procedures in order to carry
out its work.
Mohammad Baalbaki, head of the Press
Federation, where Thursday’s launch was held, praised Greenpeace and its role
in raising awareness of the issues facing Lebanon’s coast.
“It’s not acceptable that Lebanon’s
seas are at risk of this toxicity,” he said.
The study was conducted by Greenpeace in collaboration
with the University of Exeter in Britain, and the input of Carol Sukhn, a
leading expert in Lebanon on eco-toxicology.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-24/185555-greenpeace-warns-of-lebanons-toxic-waters.ashx#axzz24SzzDzFf
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