“Waste Fire in Siniq Area Raises Environmental and Health Concerns in Sidon”

The “revolution” did not extinguish the fire that broke out a few days ago in large quantities of waste accumulated near the modern treatment plant in the Siniq area, south of Sidon. This fire sparked a wave of anger and political and popular resentment after it emitted white smoke and foul odors, which raised questions about whether it was fabricated or an accident.

Determining the answer to these questions that preoccupied the minds of Sidonians will be through a report prepared by specialized experts within two days. As “Nidaa Al-Watan” learned that the Ministry of Environment decided to send a specialized committee today to conduct a survey and prepare a report on the causes of the outbreak of the fire and determine whether it was deliberate to get rid of the accumulated waste or was an accident. The fire revealed shocking facts:

– The first: Confirming the presence of a mountain of waste and exhausts near the plant that has become difficult to remove, to repeat the experience of the previous mountain, which settled on the lungs of the marine city for decades and turned into an environmental and health problem for decades, throwing aside the waste disposal equation after the establishment of the first modern treatment plant, which It boasted that it had become a “zero waste” city.

The second: The reality of the factory shows that it is closed or operating at a lower capacity due to the validity of the equipment and machines in it, or because of the inability of those responsible to manage it effectively due to the economic crisis and its impact on production and employee salaries and the recurrence of previous strikes and closures. The problem increases with the accumulation of waste in the streets, neighborhoods and alleys due to the failure of the contractor company to lift and transport it due to non-payment of its financial dues.

Third: The fire shows the weakness of the capabilities of the firefighting teams in dealing with such fires, despite the readiness and readiness of the personnel, as extinguishing it requires the use of landfills and earth instead of water, due to the ignition of methane gas in its interior and the emission of white smoke as a result of partially extinguishing the flame without completely extinguishing it, and the continuation of Smoke is emitted with unpleasant odors, and sometimes extinguishes before igniting again.

On the field, the firefighting teams faced great difficulty in reaching the site of the fire on the western side – by sea. Trucks were used to transport rubble and place them over the place of the fire in an attempt to completely extinguish it after the emission of thick white smoke led to a lack of vision in some streets of the city. Some schools were forced to dismiss their students to their homes early in order to avoid inhaling bad smells, such as Al-Qalaa High School and the Omani School. Others were forced to wear masks again, coinciding with the quintessential weather, fast winds, and high temperatures and humidity.