Residents block the entrance to the Naameh landfill in front of
Sukleen trucks as riot police stand guard south of Beirut,
Friday Jan. 24, 2014.
January 17th, 2015
Angry residents blocked Saturday the entrance to the controversial Naameh landfill and demanded the government shut it down, warning of more actions in the future.
Speaking to television reporters, a spokesperson for the protesters called on Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk to resign after failing to shut down the landfill, which was originally set for closure Saturday.
“You made us a promise and failed to keep it. Like several senior statesmen, you have failed in resolving a simple problem,” he said.
Other protesters expressed frustration with the environment minister, saying “we no longer trust you after today nor do we trust your promises or empty plans.”
The spokesperson also announced that another protest will be held at the dump on Jan. 31.
Security forces beefed up measures in and around the dump in an effort to prevent any escalation.
Residents and officials are at odds concerning the closure of the Naameh dump after Progressive Socialist Party head Walid Jumblatt, whose party enjoys wide support in the area, agreed to a three month extension for the landfill.
Though the agreement calls for a three-month long technical extension, protesters fear the landfill will not be closed down for another seven years.
If the protesters decide to permanently block the entrance to the dump as they had last year, the streets of Beirut and other parts of the country could again be drowned in garbage.
The contract between the government and Sukleen, the company responsible for sweeping and cleaning the streets of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, was set to expire Saturday.
The Naameh landfill was originally opened in 1997 to serve the Beirut and Mount Lebanon region. It was intended to close after six years but remains open 17 years later. The landfill now receives 2,850 tons of waste a day, five times its intended capacity.
The Naameh landfill was originally supposed to be closed on Jan. 17 but under the new plan the deadline has been extended by three months and could be pushed back by another three if no alternative is found.