Toxic waste may put Beirut water supply at great risk
Lebanon, Local, 9/3/1997

Greenpeace discovered that three companies are dumping huge quantities of waste, removed from the Quarentina dumpsite, above Beirut River and accused them of provoking an ecological disaster.

These companies are Entracanales and Cubiertas, both Spanish, in addition to Samir Sheddad, a Lebanese company.

Mr. Fouad Hamdan, the head of Greenpeace in Lebanon, said that the more time passes, the more this situation becomes dangerous. "If nothing is done before the rainy season starts, the river and underground reservoirs will be polluted," he said.

He added that this dump risks polluting drinking water that is distributed all over Beirut, for it contains household waste as well as dangerous hospital and industrial waste. He also said that it could include barrels of toxic waste that were illegally imported from Italy during the war.

Lebanese Minister of Environment Akram Shehayeb said that he visited Monte Verde and took samples of the waste that turned out not to be toxic, and that it was only a combination of old household waste. He said that the problem will be dealt with before the rain comes in.

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