
The entrance of the Tripoli oil facilities in northern Lebanon. Archive photo NNA.
The packaging of chemical products found at the oil facilities in Tripoli, North Lebanon, is ongoing, to ship the materials to France for treatment, caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin told L'Orient-Le Jour. Contrary to some rumors, he also said the site does not contain radioactive materials. A source familiar with the case who requested anonymity confirmed his statements.
“There are no radioactive products in Tripoli, only chemical substances that were used in the oil facilities,” Yassin said. He is awaiting the file from the Energy and Water Ministry, which oversees the oil facilities. The Environment Ministry is expected to review the documents before shipping the products “to ensure the procedure complies with the Basel agreements,” which regulate the transboundary movement of hazardous waste.
“We are in contact with the company handling this project and are also awaiting France’s approval before sending the materials,” Yassin added. He emphasized that “any chemical product can be potentially dangerous and polluting if not treated properly.”
A document from the Energy Ministry’s petroleum directorate, dated Jan. 15, 2024, reported the presence of corrosive and “highly toxic” substances such as sodium hydroxide and ammonium bifluoride at the Tripoli oil facilities. In March, about 100 protesters, responding to a call from the al-Fayha Municipalities Union and other North Lebanon unions, gathered outside the oil facilities south of Tripoli to protest the presence of these chemicals.
Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, Hassan Amraoui, head of the municipal council in the Beddaoui sector of Tripoli, where the oil facilities are located, called for “ridding the city of these dangerous products.”
“The residents are afraid. They’re uncomfortable knowing such materials are stored here. It’s an unacceptable situation,” Amraoui said, urging authorities to provide “more transparency” on the progress of the work.
Products discovered in 2020
The packaging of the chemical products in Tripoli was assigned in 2024 to AGROMEC, the company that won the public tender for the project. AGROMEC is also handling chemical products found at the Zahrani oil facility in South Lebanon. The company has completed packaging the products in Zahrani and is making progress in Tripoli.
The source familiar with the case said the chemicals were discovered in 2020 in Zahrani and Tripoli following the deadly explosions at Beirut’s port. Authorities uncovered the substances while inspecting public facilities for hazardous materials.
About 70 barrels of chemical products were found at the Tripoli oil facilities in 2020, but no radioactive material was present, the source said. In South Lebanon, half a kilogram of radioactive material and seven barrels of chemical substances were discovered at the Zahrani oil facilities near Saida, which are also overseen by the Energy Ministry. The radioactive materials were reportedly treated in 2021, but this has not been independently confirmed.
Delays in implementing the project were partly due to multiple tenders being issued and the Energy Ministry waiting for the Mikati government to secure the necessary foreign currency funds. An Italian company won the tender in 2022 but withdrew in 2023, the source said. Ultimately, AGROMEC was awarded the contract in 2024 for $5.5 million.
Environmental activist Paul Abi Rached, director of the NGO Terre Liban, said he was unaware of the radioactive material reportedly found in Zahrani. However, he confirmed that no radioactive products were found in Tripoli, which was inspected by the army in 2021. He also criticized the long-term storage of chemical products at the North Lebanon oil facilities, saying, “These substances have been stored there for more than 50 years.”
“I don’t understand who benefits from spreading rumors about radioactive materials in Tripoli,” he said, adding that he had concerns about the competence of the company handling the project and whether the shipment of materials to France would ultimately take place.
The presence and storage of hazardous materials have been sensitive issues in Lebanon since the devastating Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion. While the war in Gaza and the subsequent conflict in South Lebanon diverted attention, recent controversies have reignited concerns. In June 2024, the government faced scrutiny over dangerous substances stored at the Zouk power plant. At the time, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati dismissed fears, saying the chemicals were “in stable condition,” “properly stored,” and “regularly inspected.”