press releases 2007

USAID Launches Second Stage of Oil Spill Cleanup

November 14, 2007

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contracted a Lebanese firm Promar Marine Contracting to resume the oil spill clean up operations that were initiated last year. 
The oil spill clean up project is divided into two stages. Under the first stage of the project, USAID had contracted U.S. company Seacor Environmental Services (SES) to perform an initial clean up during the period September 28, 2006 to December 15, 2006. This first stage primarily focused on cleaning 28 oil spill sites stretching from Enfeh to Tabarja, that had been identified by the Ministry of Environment and SES.  
SES removed free oil, oil contaminated debris, tar lenses, and tar mats from the 28 oil spill sites and placed the collected waste into over 35,000 heavy plastic bags. USAID subsequently contracted a Lebanese firm, Navy Group Limited, to remove the bagged waste from the oil spill sites and transport it in 23 steel shipping containers to the Oil Refinery of International Petroleum Company (IPC) site in Tripoli, designated by the Ministry of Environment.

The second stage of the project was launched in October 2007, after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Environment on August 3, 2007, and will last for six months. The works are monitored by the Ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of Culture – Directorate General of Antiquities for works on cultural sites in Byblos and Enfeh. This second stage mainly involves final cleaning of 23 sites along the sea shore, from Enfeh to Tabarja, that have been specifically identified by the Ministry of Environment as priority sites requiring further cleaning. The final clean up involves removing the remaining oil to a degree where only a light taint remains on the sites.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has worked in Lebanon since 1951, funding development projects to benefit Lebanese citizens. USAID’s program promotes economic opportunities, job creation, good governance and environmental policies and practices in rural Lebanon. USAID works in partnership with U.S. and Lebanese organizations throughout the country. USAID strengthens the relationship between the people of Lebanon and the people of the United States, and promotes a shared vision of democracy and socio-economic development. 

For more information about USAID’s projects in Lebanon, visit USAID’s website http://lebanon.usaid.gov.