02 March 2007

Environment Hotline

BEIRUT: The Environment Ministry says the first phase of a clean-up operation of the Lebanese coast from a disastrous oil spill has ended, but an inspection of the areas showed the contrary, according to an article published in this month's issue of Environment and Development magazine.

Environment Hotline, an environmental research team affiliated with the magazine, said "the truth is that some of the locations afflicted with the oil spill have not been cleared properly."

More than 10,000 tons of heavy fuel oil from the Jiyyeh power plant, leaked into the sea during the summer 2006 war, due to repeated air strikes by Israeli warplanes.

"Where did the American company Seacore spend $5 million offered by the US Agency for International Development to clean up the Lebanese shore?" the group asked.

According to the report, Bahr Loubnan, a Lebanese environmental organization that has taken on the responsibility to clean the coastline, had spent no more than $500,000 to clean the seabed and shores from Sidon in the South to Ramlet al-Baida in Beirut.

The US company was charged with cleaning the regions of Jbeil, Amchit and Enfeh.

"The company concentrated its work in the port of Jbeil while neglecting the other locations," the report said.

In addition to polluted water, the report highlighted the problem of polluted sand which, it said, was gathered in plastic tanks and bags.

"After seven months of gathering tanks and bags along the coast, where some of them had been damaged by heat and rain, the Environment Ministry decided to transport them to oil refineries in Zahrani and Beddawi for treatment," the report said.

About 225 square meters (405 tons) of oil have been withdrawn from Lebanon's seabed, along with 1,000 square meters of floating oil and 6,000 square meters of polluted sand, pebbles and waste.

Meanwhile, Feefee Kallab, head of Byblos Ecologia, criticized the Environment Ministry, which she said monitored the work of Seacore in a "marginal" way.

The report said the US company had not yet accomplished its work and asked the Environment Ministry to resume its work by the end of spring.

"By then, waves and storms would have withdrawn oil to the sea, which brings the problem back to its starting point," the report said.

In Jiyyeh and Saadiyat, a Greek firm called Environment Protection Engineering is clearing the coast, with Canadian support worth $565,000.

"The clean-up operation is below level," the report said. "Some rocks are left brown, others black ... and what is worse is that the company is not using materials that absorb floating oil so it does not leak into the sea again."

Effat Idriss, head of the Cedars Association, criticized the cleaning operation in Ramlet al-Baida. "Polluted sand was being put on clean sand ... but work carried out by Bahr Loubnan was good," Idriss told Environment Hotline.

Bahr Loubnan completed its cleaning operations on February 12, 2007, while a group of specialized divers and coast workers are still working on eliminating any oil spots that might appear after winter storms. - The Daily Star