Generator pollution crisis: Lebanese Environment Ministry takes action

To address the high pollution levels resulting from generators and their impact on citizens' health and the environment, the Lebanese Ministry of Environment has taken action to mitigate this harm.

According to studies, the percentage of cancer-causing pollutants from generators has exceeded 300 percent.

Additionally, generators are used for a duration ranging from 10 to 15 hours daily, increasing the population's exposure to dangerous pollutants.

However, intending to curb this threat, the Environment Ministry has issued a directive requiring generator owners with thermal power exceeding 200 kilowatts to install particulate matter filters for diesel generators to reduce pollution.

Furthermore, this is under the threat of suspending non-compliant generator owners.

The cost of these particulate matter filters ranges from four thousand to ten thousand dollars, and generator owners will naturally bear it.

So, will they adhere to these regulations?

The LBCI team visited several generator owners in various regions across Lebanon, and they revealed that they had not yet received the directive.

However, they expressed surprise at such decisions being issued "when the world is facing other pressing issues." Some considered it more reasonable for the government to provide electricity instead of issuing directives.

In other areas, generator owners chose not to speak on camera and stated that the government should install filters at the Zouk power plant first. But others believed that the directive should be enforced.

For those generator owners who do not comply, it will be the responsibility of the municipality or local administration to enforce the filter installation.

Moreover, if a generator owner or operator fails to comply, the next step will involve environmental prosecutors, as confirmed by the Caretaker Minister of Environment to LBCI.

Thus, will the Environment Ministry succeed in curbing the growing threat posed by generators to citizens' health, and, more importantly, can it regulate the uncontrolled and escalating proliferation of generators in areas and neighborhoods, ensuring that they meet environmental and health standards?