The quest for a new waste-to-energy incinerator in Miami-Dade County has set the county on a collision course with the City of Miramar, as officials raise concerns about the prospect of having such a facility near their border. An incinerator is needed to replace the county's existing facility, which succumbed to fire in 2023. One of the potential sites being considered is on the grounds of the now-defunct Opa-locka West Airport, less than a mile from Miramar's western limits. Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam has been vocal about his opposition, stating, "Our message is simple: Miramar says no to the incinerator," in a statement obtained by WSVN.
Residents from the area are citing environmental and health concerns, with Elisha Moultrie sharing with WSVN, "I worry about my grand kids. I have to speak up on this , and we cannot allow this to happen to the families like mine.""It is incomprehensible to think that a facility on a large industrial site that will burn over 4,000 tons of trash per day will not have one ounce of smell, will not emit anything that is harmful to our health," he remarked.
Miramar city officials have warned that should the county press forward with the site near Miramar, it could ignite a costly and prolonged legal confrontation. City Attorney Michael Goldstein, in an interview with WSVN, foresaw "Nothing will ever come of it except a solid decade of litigation and tens of millions of dollars in legal fees for the county." The tension between community safety concerns and the logistical needs of the county's waste management looms large as a decision on the incinerator's location nears.
While Miramar prepares for potential legal battles, the county's choice of where to site the new facility is drawing closer. Officials are expected to make a decision on the matter soon, as reported by Miami Herald. Thus far, the office of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has not commented on the opposition from Miramar. With resistance mounting and a critical choice at hand, the situation remains a sharp point of contention in the county's agenda.
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