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Posted by finkployd in
Info
Friday, March 25. 2005
Watchdog blames industries for pollution
Friday, March 25, 2005
Two months after white foam was spotted on the surface of the sea off the Tabarja coast in Kesrouan, and after hauls of dead fish where retrieved from the area, the source of the water pollution is still unknown.
However, tests conducted by the environmental watchdog Environment On-line have proved that the foaming was not the result of cooking oil dumped into the sea by restaurants along the coast, as was previously announced by the Environment Ministry's emergency committee based on analysis run on samples of sea water at the American University of Beirut's laboratories.
The ministry claimed last month that "the results of the tests and analysis show that the material consists of used cooking oil from restaurants, and therefore nontoxic or detrimental to humans or marine life."
Informed sources said the samples could have been switched before their arrival to AUB's laboratories, or could have been incorrectly collected.
Additional samples were sent to the laboratories of the Industrial Research Institute, but their results have yet to be disclosed.
According to the sources, the ministry was unable to receive the analysis report for the second set of tests due to an outstanding bill estimated at $500 - the result of a lack of funds allocated by the Environment Ministry for this purpose.
Information made available to Environment On-line showed that the pollution was due to an industrial engine oil spill by industrial machines and not restaurant fryers.
Lebanese industries randomly dump thousands of tons of used oils in the Mediterranean every year.
Tabarja's sewage is collected from the septic tanks by cisterns before being dumped into the sea without processing.
But the municipality allowed cistern owners to dump other cargos in the sea in exchange for free transport services of the Tabarja sewage.
Apparently, the "other cargos" had been industrial engine oils collected from industries at high costs and dumped in the sea without monitoring.
An Environment On-line official said: "We refuse to believe that two months after the incident, the source of the toxic oils and the names of the polluting industries have not been revealed yet."
"We refuse to believe that the Environment Ministry did not receive the results of the analysis after two months because it failed to settle the bill," the official added.
Environment On-line is a hotline for environmental complaints by citizens. - daily star
If you have something to report, call:
Environmental Hotline Number 01 210 510
-finkployd
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