Jumblatt vows to close al-Naameh landfill

The head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt vowed Thursday to permanently close the al-Naameh landfill once the contract, which was extended on the 17th of January 2005, ends, noting that any form of extension or new acquisition will not be allowed.

In a statement he issued via al-Anbaa website, Jumblatt declared that when the Parliament convenes, he will be following up on two draft laws he had previously presented; one that concerns reimbursing the municipalities and paying their rights due since 2008, while the second stipulates exempting the municipalities located in the vicinity of the landfill from the debts owed to the municipal independent fund.

In this context, Jumblatt said that his bloc vows to finalize this issue with the new cabinet once it is formed.

On Saturday, January 18, residents and environmental activists launched an open sit-in to protest a recent decision that extends the contract of Sukleen at the al-Naameh landfill.

An agreement was reached on Sunday evening during a meeting with Prime minister-Designate Tammam Salam in Mseitbeh, to reopen al-Naameh road for a period of 48 hours in a bid to reach a solution for the said landfill. However, the residents re-blocked the road when the deadline expired awaiting better solution for their issue.

The landfill was opened in 1997 following the closure of the Normandy seafront dump in Beirut, and was initially set to operate for only six year.