The head of Zouk Mikael Municipality, Elias Al-Baeno, sent a letter to the "Electricity of Lebanon" agency, represented by General Director Kamel Hayek, stating the following:
1. The Zouk Mikael Municipality does not bear responsibility for any information published on social media or media outlets unless it is issued, signed, and stamped by the municipality.
2. After several correspondences with the Electricity of Lebanon, the Zouk Mikael Municipality sent a letter on 13/5/2024 requesting that your agency specify all chemical substances, their quantities, and storage methods within the Zouk Mikael Thermal Plant premises. To date, the municipality has not received any response, despite requesting this information as soon as possible, specifically within 10 days, to cooperate in mitigating any potential harm in the vicinity of the plant and to ensure the safety of citizens and their properties.
3. It is not the municipality's duty to provide studies or scientific data about the substances present in the plant; rather, it is the responsibility of the Electricity of Lebanon to reassure the Zouk Mikael Municipality and subsequently the citizens, not only with words but by providing scientific studies from specialized technical laboratories that prove these substances are not hazardous and therefore are not flammable or explosive in their current storage conditions.
4. You mentioned in your letter that a deal was signed on 11/2/2021 with the Lebanese company Tecmo representing the German company Combilift to lift approximately 13 tons of only two materials, and to date, the company has not fulfilled its contractual obligations without any action from your agency against the committed company. It should be noted that Zouk Mikael Municipality has received a list from you containing several other materials whose quantities and storage methods are not yet known. This is the main concern for the municipality, and a meeting was held during which your agency committed to providing a list detailing the quantities and types present and their storage methods, yet the municipality has not received any such list.
5. If the Ministry of Environment is delaying the removal of these hazardous materials, the Zouk Mikael Municipality clearly requests your agency send this allegation in writing, which the municipality will follow up with the highest authorities in the Lebanese Republic to obtain the necessary permit, as the three-year period to issue a permit from the Ministry raises significant concerns about the nature of these materials and the reason for the ministry's lack of approval for their removal to date.
6. Your letter states that all rights and ownership of these materials and their containers have been transferred to Tecmo, representing the German company Combolift. The question arises: have these two companies been pursued legally to hold them accountable for the failure to fulfill their contractual obligations, especially since these materials have been classified as hazardous and require immediate removal?
7. You also mentioned that the same materials present in the Zouk Thermal Plant exist in various industrial plants and oil facilities within the municipal and geographic area surrounding the Zouk plant. Therefore, the Zouk Mikael Municipality wishes to inform you that due to the negligence of the concerned ministries, it is in the process of forming a specialized task force to study the status of the plants and facilities within the municipal boundary and provide a detailed report on each, clearly identifying the devices and equipment used in these facilities and how materials are stored there. The municipality will periodically inspect all sites, including yours, and will hold accountable those violating environmental and public safety standards, up to legal closure if necessary.
8. According to a letter from the Army Command - Operations Branch, number 3227/ع م/ ع/ ع, signed by Army Commander Joseph Aoun on 24/3/2022: Following the assignment of the Engineering Regiment to supervise the packaging and storage of the materials within the Zouk Thermal Plant, the regiment was later assigned to oversee the transfer of 13 tons of these chemical materials from the Zouk plant to be stored in an oil facility in the north at the request of the Electricity of Lebanon and in coordination with it. However, according to the aforementioned letter, the operation was not executed based on the agency's opinion.
9. What was stated in the letter from the Minister of Finance directed to the Cabinet's secretariat, number 1275/ص, a copy of which was communicated to us, describes the materials as hazardous and adds: "In this regard, to avoid any liability, we emphasize that the role of the Ministry of Finance is limited to securing the necessary funds for the transportation or disposal of these hazardous materials."
Finally, after a long wait, with your agency not taking the necessary steps to eliminate the imminent danger to our area, and not sensing any seriousness in handling this sensitive matter, the Zouk Mikael Municipality would like to inform you that it can no longer tolerate any delays from your agency, holding it fully responsible for any imminent danger or disasters that may occur. It considers this letter an ultimate warning for your agency to provide all requested documents in its letter dated 13/5/2024, in addition to expediting the removal of the materials for which you contracted removal and have not been removed for three years to date. Otherwise, the Zouk Mikael Municipality will be compelled to take all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent any harm to its residents and citizens.
