Environment Minister Fady Jreissati on Monday confirmed that the existing landfills in Burj Hammoud and Costa Brava will be "temporarily" expanded, warning that the failure to do so will cause waste to pile up again on the streets across Metn and Beirut.

“The final solution does not include establishing landfills along the coast, but we will for now expand the existing ones," Jreissati said during a tour at the Costa Brava landfill.

“I cannot be held responsible for the period during which I was not in office."

“I have never presented any plan to establish a landfill along the coast, but there are things which we are forced to do,” Jreissati stated, promising to resolve the problem of the foul smells emanating from the landfills, especially the one in Burj Hammoud.

Kataeb MP Elias Hankache fired back at the minister's disavowal of his predecessor's policy and actions, adding that Jreissati is actually affiliates to the same political force as former Minister Tarek Al-Khatib.

“What happened to your promises of sustainable solutions”? Hankache asked via Twitter.

"Once again you are making people choose between the bad and the worse," he added. “For how long will the residents of Dekwaneh, Sin el Fil, Burj Hammoud, Jdeideh, Sad el Bauchrieh, Zalka and Jal El Dib endure pollution, foul smells and diseases?"