Effects of war come ashore in form of oil slick at Beirut's Ramlet al-Baida beach


Daily Star [Lebanon] staff
Saturday, July 22, 2006


BEIRUT: Part of Beirut's shoreline has become covered in oil, threatening marine life, according to an article published in An-Nahar daily. The shore at Ramlet al-Baida, where Israeli warships have been firing from, has been covered in the thick toxic liquid, the report said.

Beirut Mayor Abdel Monem Ariss, who toured the area, has stated that the source of the diesel oil could either be the heavy traffic of ships and boats that have come to Lebanon to evacuate foreigners, or the Israeli warship that was hit by Hizbullah rockets. The warship might have had to empty an extra load of oil, Ariss said.
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Ariss ruled out the possibility that the diesel oil might have resulted from the burning gasoline tanks at the airport because he said "its combination differs from that of diesel oil found on the Ramlet al-Baida's shore and the smell differs as well."

Ariss said that he had delegated Marwan Chidiac, the head of the Civil Defense, to investigate the case.

Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf was to coordinate a shore cleanup. - The Daily Star