The Municipality of Zahle responded to the controversy surrounding chemicals found in the Zahle landfill, stressing that it will not enter into daily debates, but it will not remain silent about what it described as misleading people or harming their safety and the city’s reputation.
The municipality said in a statement that the file had reached it with the required official approvals from the Ministry of Environment, the Electricité du Liban, and the concerned authorities, and that the materials that were scheduled to be sent to Zahle were officially classified as “non-hazardous,” and the methodology for processing them was subject to review by the competent authorities, and on this basis the municipality agreed to receive them.
She explained that a total amount of 7.5 tons arrived at the Zahle landfill on September 19, 2025, confirming that the hazardous materials present in the Zouk plant, including materials containing asbestos, did not reach the landfill at all.
She added that the data changed during the implementation phase, after question marks appeared about the mechanism of treatment and final disposal of materials, in addition to the absence of regulatory and supervisory bodies whose presence the municipality considered a prerequisite for proceeding. As a result, it stopped the operation and refused treatment and landfilling, stressing that it had adopted a “zero risk” policy.
She stressed that the containers were not opened, the materials were not treated, and no part of them was buried, and to this day they are still inside their original, tightly sealed containers.
On October 8, 2025, the municipality sent correspondence to the Ministries of Environment, Energy, and Water and the Electricité du Liban, requesting that the materials be recovered and removed from the landfill. After it was not removed, the municipality resorted to the judiciary and filed suit No. 461/2026 before the single civil judge in Zahle, who presides over cases of urgent matters.
The municipality rejected what it described as attempts to invest politically in the issue and intimidate the people, considering that whoever wants to hold it accountable must rely on the facts.
She also reviewed a series of projects that she said she completed in less than a year, including more than 7 development projects, the rehabilitation of the lighting network and lighting of the highway after more than 15 years of darkness, in addition to tourism and security work and the development of waste management and landfill facilities.
She concluded by confirming that she will continue to follow up on the file legally and administratively until the materials are transferred out of the Zahle landfill, adding: “Achievement is stronger than confusion, and in the end judgment belongs to the people of Zahle.”
