On Jan. 11, Judge of Urgent Matters Hasan Hamdan ordered the temporary closure of the Costa Brava landfill located only 167 meters (0.1 mile) from Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut. The landfill could lead to possible aviation accidents because of the seagulls attracted to the waste.
The Costa Brava landfill has been temporarily closed as the operator of the landfill, Jihad Arab, was formally notified to abide by the judge's orders. On Jan. 11, new Minister of Public Works Youssef Finianos told reporters that he recognized the “danger the birds pose to the civil aviation movement,” and said that the problem of Ghadir River's high pollution near the dump site will be dealt with.