Urgent Call on Hazardous Chemicals: Remove Them Immediately!

The "Lebanese Chemists' Union" stated in a press release that it is "following with deep concern and condemnation the ongoing negligence and delays in managing hazardous chemicals, including administrative evasion, shifting decisions from removal to arbitrary options such as mixing materials or using them in soil and agriculture."

It called for "the immediate removal of all hazardous or unknown chemical substances abroad via specialized and accredited companies equipped with necessary export safety facilities, in accordance with the Basel Convention. The continued retention of these materials within Lebanese territory or their arbitrary disposal in the absence of qualified treatment facilities amounts to a time bomb and blatant disregard for public safety."

It warned against "assigning transportation, inspection, treatment, or disposal of hazardous chemicals to unqualified or technically unlicensed commercial firms. Managing chemical risks is not a commercial transaction; it demands internationally recognized, strict standards and verifiable proof of competence aligned with global safety protocols."

"The burial of expired or liquid chemicals in municipal landfills or their use in agricultural soil is strictly prohibited by law. The Union emphasizes that any future internal treatment must fully comply with mandatory pre-treatment protocols, including: Chemical Neutralization: adjusting the pH of acidic and alkaline substances to safe limits (pH 6.5 - 8.5); Solidification / Stabilization: mixing soluble metals and compounds with cementitious binders to prevent leaching into groundwater and soil; Thermal Incineration: thermal treatment of toxic organic compounds (such as Rodine) in dedicated hazardous waste incinerators and landfills."

It urged "immediate public disclosure of all laboratory analysis results for the affected materials, highlighting the scientific assessments adopted and clarifying the technical background behind any prior approvals to reduce confusion and ambiguity."

It called on "the Public Prosecutor's Office and competent judiciary to act immediately, launching a comprehensive investigation to pursue and hold accountable all responsible parties who made lenient decisions, reversed removal plans in favor of unsafe stopgap solutions, and reaffirm criminal and administrative liability for anyone endangering public safety and environmental security."

It affirmed that "immediate direct removal is the national and scientific obligation to protect Lebanon and its people until specialized and accredited national centers for hazardous waste treatment are established under oversight of competent authorities," adding that "its full scientific capabilities are available to the judiciary and official bodies to prevent recurrence of environmental tragedies and disasters."