The Miami-Dade Commission gathered Monday to discuss the future of waste management in the county.
The meeting comes as county landfills are almost up to capacity.
There was an overwhelming turnout inside of commission chambers Monday morning as dozens of speakers lined up to voice their opposition for the possibility of an incinerator being built at Airport West in Miramar.
“It is important that I stand before you today, that I asked that this incinerator not be built near our borders — near the borders of the city of Miramar,” one woman told commissioners. “It can affect our quality of life. It can affect the air that we all breathe.”
Strong pushback is coming from neighbors of Miramar, Southwest Ranches and Pembroke Pines.
Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said their message is simple.
“We don’t believe that incineration technology is the right technology for resource recovery and solid waste disposal,” he said.
In a meeting with commissioners last month, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava recommended to eliminate the incinerator option as a possible short-term solution.
The mayor said building a new waste facility with modern standards would be safe but pricey.
“For that reason, I’m recommending that we continue to long haul waste via truck and rail,” she said.
“The cost, I think now based on her memo, is something that makes a lot of sense. Why spend $1.7 billion on something that’ll take 10 1/2 years,” Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez said.
Other options include building an out-of-county landfill or building a waste-to-energy facility.
Why did this all start?
It goes back to 2023 as the county was in search for a replacement of a Doral incinerator that burned down.
The initial idea was to build the incinerator again in Doral, but that plan was eventually dropped following a call from Eric Trump, saying his family was against it being near Trump National Doral.
Right now, trash in the county is being hauled via truck and train by a contractor outside of the county.
A final vote is expected during a commission meeting scheduled for Feb. 19.
The Miami-Dade Commission gathered Monday to discuss the future of waste management in the county.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The Miami-Dade Commission gathered Monday to discuss the future of waste management in the county.
The meeting comes as county landfills are almost up to capacity.
There was an overwhelming turnout inside of commission chambers Monday morning as dozens of speakers lined up to voice their opposition for the possibility of an incinerator being built at Airport West in Miramar.
“It is important that I stand before you today, that I asked that this incinerator not be built near our borders — near the borders of the city of Miramar,” one woman told commissioners. “It can affect our quality of life. It can affect the air that we all breathe.”
Strong pushback is coming from neighbors of Miramar, Southwest Ranches and Pembroke Pines.
Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said their message is simple.
“We don’t believe that incineration technology is the right technology for resource recovery and solid waste disposal,” he said.
In a meeting with commissioners last month, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava recommended to eliminate the incinerator option as a possible short-term solution.
The mayor said building a new waste facility with modern standards would be safe but pricey.
“For that reason, I’m recommending that we continue to long haul waste via truck and rail,” she said.
“The cost, I think now based on her memo, is something that makes a lot of sense. Why spend $1.7 billion on something that’ll take 10 1/2 years,” Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez said.
Other options include building an out-of-county landfill or building a waste-to-energy facility.
Why did this all start?
It goes back to 2023 as the county was in search for a replacement of a Doral incinerator that burned down.
The initial idea was to build the incinerator again in Doral, but that plan was eventually dropped following a call from Eric Trump, saying his family was against it being near Trump National Doral.
Right now, trash in the county is being hauled via truck and train by a contractor outside of the county.
A final vote is expected during a commission meeting scheduled for Feb. 19.