Skip to content
Oil Change International | Data Driven, People Powered. Oil Change International | Data Driven, People Powered.
  • About
    • Our Work
    • Values
    • Team
    • Jobs at OCI
    • Ways to Give
  • Program Areas
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • North Sea
    • United States
    • Global Industry
    • Global Public Finance
    • Global Policy
  • Blog
  • Press Releases
  • Publications
Donate
  • Get Updates
    • Share on Bluesky Share on Bluesky Bluesky (opens in a new window)
    • Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Twitter (opens in a new window)
    • Share on Instagram Share on Instagram Instagram (opens in a new window)
    • Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn LinkedIn (opens in a new window)
    • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Facebook (opens in a new window)
Donate
  • About
    • Our Work
    • Values
    • Team
    • Jobs at OCI
    • Ways to Give
  • Program Areas
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • North Sea
    • United States
    • Global Industry
    • Global Public Finance
    • Global Policy
  • Blog
  • Press Releases
  • Publications
    • Get Updates
    • Share on Bluesky Bluesky
    • Share on Twitter Twitter
    • Share on Instagram Instagram
    • Share on LinkedIn LinkedIn
    • Share on Facebook Facebook
Go to OCI Homepage
Published: August 11, 2006

Massive Oil Spill Continues to Spread in Lebanon

  • Latest from OCI
  • Blogs listing
  • Massive Oil Spill Continues to Spread in Lebanon
    • Blog Post extreme energy Oil

It has been almost a month since Israeli planes bombed the Jiyeh power plant 12 miles south of Beirut and triggered the largest oil spill in the history of the eastern Mediterranean. About two weeks ago the United Nations Environment Program warned that about 12,000 tonnes of oil had already leaked from the plant and spread itself out over about one-third of Lebanon’s coast. More recent estimates from the Lebanese Ministry of the Environment put the total at about 30,000 tonnes (almost as big as the 37,000 tonnes of oil that spilled from the Exxon Valdez into Alaska’s Prince William Sound in March 1989!).
It isn’t technically oil that is spilling into the Mediterranean, but rather a far more toxic cocktail used to fuel power stations. The spill poses a high risk of cancer since the fuel contains substances such as benzene that are categorized as Class 1 carcinogens. The country’s beaches, which normally attract tourists, are covered in the black fuel. Fishermen are out of business and baby turtles are dying as they swim into polluted waters after hatching.

Oil Change International | Data Driven, People Powered.
Donate Get Updates
Back to the top
  • Keep in touch

  • Oil Change International
    714 G St. SE, #202
    Washington, DC 20003
    United States

    +1.202.518.9029

    [email protected]

    • Share on Bluesky Bluesky (opens in a new window)
    • Share on Twitter Twitter (opens in a new window)
    • Share on Instagram Instagram (opens in a new window)
    • Share on LinkedIn LinkedIn (opens in a new window)
    • Share on Facebook Facebook (opens in a new window)
  • Quick links

  • About OCI
  • Our Values
  • Jobs at OCI
  • Ways to Give
  • Media Centre

  • Publications
  • Press
  • Associated websites

  • Big Oil Reality Check
  • Energy Finance Database
  • Permian Climate Bomb
  • Site map
  • Privacy policy

Copyright © 2025 Oil Change International. Web design by Fat Beehive