Minister promises shipment of toxic waste barrels

Lebanese Environment Minister Akram Chehayeb on Sunday announced that toxic waste containers illegally dumped in Lebanon will be shipped out of Lebanon before the end of the month.

Two barrels containing industrial waste from Canada were shipped to Lebanon during the civil war days. Two other containers from Belgium were shipped here in October 1996 and have been at Beirut harbor since then.

Thirty-six containers -- 750 tons -- of toxic waste from Germany were shipped back in June after a public outcry that the waste was endangering the environment and a campaign by Greenpeace to get them out of the country.

"I have been officially informed that Canada and Belgium will take back the barrels of paint. Both will be shipped back by the end of December," he added during a press conference.

He did not say who would pay the cost for their shipment out of the country.