MIAMI (WSVN) - A new trash incinerator was the topic of discussion in a Miami-Dade commission meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting came on the heels of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s decision to withdraw her plans of building the incinerator near Miramar.
Miramar residents and local officials have long voiced their reservations, citing concerns about the safety and environmental risk that building the incinerator on county lines poses.
“No incinerator, not in our town. No incinerator, not in our town,” a group of protesters chanted.
“We don’t want this incinerator in our backyard,” said a man.
“I am shocked you are considering putting an incinerator near the Everglades,” said a woman.
A fire destroyed the county’s old plant in Doral back in 2023.
The commission had mulled over replacing the incinerator on the same site as the old one in Doral until Eric Trump, who runs the president’s hospitality business, met with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, criticizing the plan as the incinerator site would sit about three miles away from Trump National Doral.
Several other sites were also up for consideration, including the former Opa-locka West Airport, areas outside of Hialeah Gardens, and a site in Medley.
“You put it in the Doral area or in Medley; it impacts the residents of Doral and Medley, and even more so in Hialeah and Hialeah Gardens,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez. “We put it out west, which is one of the places I proposed. It’s still a mile and a half from Miramar, but they have an issue with it. But it’s not near Miami-Dade County residents. We’re going to talk about garbage; everyone’s got to have a stake in the game.”
In the mayor’s memo released just days ago, she’s now suggesting the county explore the possibility of building a new waste site outside of the county.
The Board of County Commissioners gathered at the Steven P. Clark Government Center to reach mutual ground, as county landfills are set to reach capacity by 2030.
At Tuesday’s workshop, the mayor elaborated on her decision.
She said that a new facility would meet demands and protect the environment while safeguarding human health. But she went on to admit that it would be costly to build the facility elsewhere, and it’ll likely come with legal challenges, possibly delaying the timeline and costing county taxpayers at least $1.6 billion altogether.
In the meantime, the mayor is recommending a more cost-efficient solution, using trucks and trains to haul garbage out of the county, then burying it in landfills.
“Our top priority is to meet our disposal needs and provide essential waste services while protecting our ratepayers, keeping overall taxes and fees low, and protecting our long-term physical health. For that reason I am recommending that we continue to long-haul via truck and rail using our contracted capacity,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We are confident that continuing to landfill is also a safe option because it is heavily regulated to ensure the safety of surrounding communities.”
Miramar residents were seen chanting outside of Government Center in support of Mayor Cava’s decision to ultimately long-haul Dade’s waste rather than incinerating it in their back yard.
“I’m resolved in protecting our residents and our human health as well as protecting our natural resources like our drinking water supply,” said Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam. “And Airport West has the most sensitive environmental profile that should not be threatened.”
Although the health and safety of South Floridians is at the forefront, potential costs are also top of mind.
The committee is set to vote next Wednesday. Their decision will get passed up to the Board of County Commissioners, where they are set to make their final decision on Feb. 19th.
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