BEIRUT — The media office of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said, in a statement on Wednesday, that the chemicals present in the Zouk Power Plant are in a "stable condition and have been stored in a good manner and are inspected on a regular basis."

The issue of said chemicals in Lebanon gained heightened sensitivity after the devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion, which was caused by improperly stored ammonium nitrate. While the onset of war in Gaza and subsequently in southern Lebanon shifted the focus away from the issue of hazardous materials in Lebanon, new controversies have brought the hazardous materials problem back into the spotlight.

People living near the power plant are particularly concerned about the presence of hazardous substances like hydrochloric acid, a corrosive material that isn’t flammable on its own but when it comes in contact with other compounds, becomes a spontaneously flammable gas.

The statement by Mikati's office on Wednesday assured that those chemicals "do not pose any threat to the safety and public health of the plant’s surroundings, contrary to what has been circulated in the media."

On June 4, Kataeb MP Salim Sayegh raised concerns about potentially dangerous products stored at the Zouk power plant during a press conference in Parliament. Sayegh addressed a "letter to [caretaker] Prime Minister Najib Mikati," highlighting that a German company, CombiLift represented by Tecmo, has not been able to move these materials due to a lack of authorization from the Ministry of Environment." Sayegh warned that Tecmo had threatened to terminate the contract with Electricite du Liban (EDL) due to the delay in issuing the necessary authorization. 

Asked by L'Orient-Le Jour, caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassine categorically denied his responsibility for this delay.

Mikati's office today said that the responsibility of transporting the expired chemicals "Trisodium Phosphate" and Disodium Trioxosilicate "is the responsibility of the waste producer or the owner of the waste (i.e. the Ministry of Energy - Electricité du Liban)."

The responsibility of "taking the necessary measures to dispose of the chemicals in an environmentally sound manner," lies on the Ministry of Energy and EDL, the statement said, adding that it is the Ministry of Environment's responsibility to approve the proper transfer.

The statement said that the chemicals are in stable condition, citing official reports by several authorities and puts the claim of their safety "at their responsibility." These reports include that of EDL, which on Dec. 27, 2023, said in a statement that the hydrogen canisters are stored in a designated room and are technically connected to each other. "The process of transporting and dismantling these canisters is complex and difficult," EDL said. It also said "the quantity of hydrochloric acid present in the factory "is approximately 350 kg, which is necessary for the operation of the factory."

"It is stored securely in a warehouse approved and supervised by the Lebanese Army, and has been inspected by the security services," EDL had said.

As for the expired chemicals, "EDL has contracted with Tecmo S.A.L., a representative of Combilift, to package and transport these materials," the statement of Mikati's office said. "However, the delay in the transfer of these chemicals is due to the delay in obtaining the necessary approval from the Ministry of Environment."

The statement from Mikati's office also tackles the guarding point of the power plant, saying:

- On March 23, 2022, Mikati's cabinet decided the army would secure the plant and inspect the materials, taking necessary action if they posed a public safety threat.

- On March 24, 2022, the Ministry of Defense stated the Internal Security Forces had authority over guarding the plant and had previously inspected, repackaged, and safely stored the materials, with no ammonium nitrate found.

- ISF was then assigned to supervise the packaging, transport, and storage of the materials "at an oil facility in the North," at EDL's request, but EDL has not yet implemented this as required.

Mikati's statement cited statements from the Ministry of Environment, saying the ministry has stated that it is the responsibility of EDL to take all necessary measures to dispose of chemicals in an environmentally sound manner in accordance with the relevant legal texts."

"Therefore, if the institution wants to export these wastes abroad for environmentally sound treatment, the institution must submit an export file to the Ministry of Environment that includes the information and documents required," Mikati's statement added.

The statement also mentions a recent update on the status and storage of the chemical materials at the Zouk thermal plant as of March 2024.

On April 23, the General Directorate of State Security issued a document regarding a patrol conducted on March 26 at the Zouk thermal plant.

The patrol confirmed the presence of "potentially dangerous, explosive chemicals at the site," the statement said. A meeting was held with the head of the plant and the head of the maintenance department. They confirmed that the existing chemicals, "Trisodium Phosphate" and Disodium Trioxosilicate, "are not dangerous but have expired about 10 years ago, and are packed for transport," Mikati's statement said.

There is also hydrochloric acid, which can be "a dangerous material." The chemical is "isolated in a designated warehouse with a license from the Ministry of National Defense."