The Lebanese Ministers of Environment and Economy have recently visited Lebanon’s Port of Beirut (PoB) in order to assess the situation surrounding the silos such as problems associated with the damages from the 2020 Port explosion, as part of the economy ministry’s strategy for sustainable rehabilitation and treatment of Port-related files.  The main issue that the ministers aim to solve is that following PoB’s explosion on August 4th 2020, the port's silos were irreparably damaged with the wheat that was stored inside at the time, still present to this day.  Currently, the fermentation of the leftover wheat (estimated at 4,000 tons) inside the silos is posing serious environmental risks.  According to the CEO of ezoMED (a manufacturer of water-based disinfectants), wheat fermentation produces bacteria that cause elevated temperatures and lead to small fires inside the silos. The bacteria also eat at the internal structure of the containers, which could eventually reach their metal foundations and create new catastrophes in the longer term. According to the Lebanese Minister of Environment, several teams inspecting the site suffered from health-related issues after visiting the silos and their surroundings, while air tests confirmed contamination by toxins up to one kilometer away in the capital. To that end, the formation of a committee of experts to study the issues at hand and propose the best scientific solutions toaddress problems that have remained unresolved since the explosion was requested.  According to the Lebanese Minister of Economy, the ministry of economy is set to be working on addressing two key issues: the first and most immediate one being wheat fermentation, which could be addressed in the near future. Second would be determining the fate of the existing silos. The structure that exists currently is destroyed and cannot be presumably rehabilitated and the silos pose a danger as they could fall.In turn, the ministry of economy is set to be working on a longer-term strategy that could take a year or two to tackle, as an assessment is needed for the construction of new silos, their location, their size, how much they will cost and potential funding sources for the project. The ministry will also be looking into potential other regions like Tripoli, Saida or even the Bekaa to build the silos in. The ministry is also set to work with the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and the families of the explosion victims in order to discuss the potential establishment of a memorial. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Bank Audi, Lebanon Weekly Monitor, 9 - 15 June 2025