Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq stressed on Tuesday that al-Naameh landfill will be shut down in 2015 indefinitely, pointing out that a crisis plan will be set to deal with the crisis of solid waste in the country.

“We should focus on the main issues out of our keenness to safeguard the health of the citizens,” Mashnouq said in comments published in al-Liwaa newspaper.

The Lebanese state pledged to close Naameh landfill for good the moment the extended contract ends on January 17, 2015.

In January, the residents of areas nearby the Naameh dumpster blocked the roads leading to the landfill, arguing that its affecting their health and complained of what they described as bad living conditions. [Link]