What Is the Truth Behind the Chemicals Belonging to Electricité du Liban?

Issued by the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, a joint statement read:

"Clarifying the information circulating regarding expired chemicals belonging to the Electricité du Liban, particularly trisodium phosphate (Trisodium Phosphate), the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture confirm that the materials proposed for treatment, according to their safety data, are non-explosive and non-radioactive, thus not warranting alarm. However, their handling, transportation, and treatment must be conducted in accordance with scientific and legal procedures under the supervision of competent authorities, ensuring the protection of the environment in all its components and the safety of agricultural production."

The statement added: "Within the legal mandates of both ministries, the Ministry of Environment sets the environmental conditions and standards to be adopted for the proper treatment or disposal of expired materials, while the Ministry of Agriculture assesses the suitability of any proposed material for use in agricultural lands, based on its established technical and laboratory standards."

It continued: "After reviewing the proposed solution by the Ministry of Agriculture—based on dissolving trisodium phosphate in a specific quantity of water at a defined temperature, followed by adding a precise amount of lime or calcium hydroxide—while this substance contains a high sodium content of approximately 40%, the sodium level in any fertilizer used must not exceed 3%. This is especially critical given that most Lebanese agricultural soils are calcareous and alkaline in nature. Furthermore, the methodology used by the Ministry of Agriculture for registering and licensing fertilizers does not align with the proposed method for using this material as an agricultural fertilizer. The registration and use of any fertilizer are subject to specific technical, laboratory, and administrative criteria to ensure safety and compatibility with soil and crops. Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture does not approve the use of this material as fertilizer or its distribution across agricultural lands, in order to safeguard soil, water, and agricultural productivity."

It added: "Based on the above, the Ministry of Environment requests Electricité du Liban, as the owner and legally and technically responsible entity for managing these materials, to immediately retrieve the remaining quantities and store them in an environmentally sound manner, and take necessary measures to prevent any leakage or further use, until the contracted company submits an alternative, scientifically sound, and safe methodology for treating these materials, which will undergo evaluation and prior approval by competent authorities."

It continued: "If it proves impossible to implement an environmentally sound method for treating these materials within Lebanon, they must be transferred to a country equipped with facilities and technologies capable of safely treating and disposing of them, in compliance with the Basel Convention and applicable laws."

The statement concluded: "The Ministries of Environment and Agriculture reaffirm their ongoing coordination and joint monitoring of this file with full transparency and responsibility, taking all necessary steps to protect and ensure the safety of the environment, soil, water, and agricultural production. They also urge the public to obtain information from scientific and official sources, and avoid raising concerns through inaccurate comparisons or descriptions."