Ministerial committee postpones decision on expanding landfills

Prime Minister Saad Hariri chaired on Tuesday at the Grand Serail a meeting of the ministerial committee for the waste issue, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani, ministers Talal Arslan, Jean Ogasapian, Hussein Hajj Hassan, Tarek al-Khatib, Avedis Gidanian, Michel Pharaon, Yaacoub al-Sarraf, Ayman Choucair, Inaya Ezzeddine, and Cesar Abi Khalil, the Secretary General of the Cabinet Fouad Fleifel and the President of the Council of Development and Reconstruction Nabil al-Jisr.

After the meeting, Minister Khatib said: "The ministerial committee held a meeting chaired by the President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri and discussed the general policy submitted by the Ministry of Environment. The general principles suggested by the ministry for solid waste management were approved with some changes in the wording."

He added: "No decision was taken regarding the expansion of the Costa Brava and Burj Hammoud landfills and discussions were postponed to another date to be set by Premier Hariri."
Asked if expanding the landfill issue has become a fact, he answered: "We can't say anything because the issue is in the hands of the ministerial committee and we will announce any decision that will be taken by it".

Asked if the plan will be on the Cabinet's agenda, Minister Khatib said: "The plan will be discussed during the first or second meeting of the cabinet, to be approved according to the agenda. The plan is based on administrative decentralization. The municipalities will be responsible of this file under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment."

Asked if anything will change after this plan, especially that decentralization was proposed two years ago, he answered: "Some municipalities established plants, in cooperation with the European Union and through certain donations, but this wasn't decentralization because there was no policy. Today this policy regulates the decentralization and establishes controls under proper environmental supervision

Source: NNA