Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is set to conduct a town hall meeting this evening to discuss the potential sites for a new trash incinerator, replacing the one destroyed in Doral earlier in the year. This discussion, important to many county residents due to environmental and location concerns, follows after a 655-page memo was released in which Mayor Levine Cava identified the former Opa-locka West Airport as the preferred site for the new facility.
The site, drawing criticism for its closeness to the Broward County line and its proximity to Miramar has become a point of contention between local authorities and community members. In a statement obtained by Local 10 News, the Miramar city attorney described the decision as "empty, callous choice" and "legally indefensible, scientifically unsupportable and morally deficient and reprehensible." Environmental concerns also loom large, with the site's proximity to the Everglades being a significant point of contention among local conservationists.
Mayor Levine Cava's memo outlined the selection of the Opa-locka location as "our best option to move forward in the right direction, meeting our current and future disposal needs in the most cost-effective way while accommodating innovative zero-waste technologies." Despite the controversy, the Mayor pressed the point that any development would include necessary mitigation projects, aimed at protecting Miami-Dade's environment and community, as reported by Local 10 News.
Miramar officials remain staunchly opposed to the proposed site, with Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam having threatened to sue Miami-Dade County if they proceed. Another site under consideration, mentioned in a CBS Miami article, includes a tree farm owned by Miami developer David Martin, among others. The board will move to vote on the site proposal the following day after the town hall, which is scheduled to be held at Fire Tower Miami located west of Miami International Airport.
Residents of the county are expected to use the town hall as an opportunity to voice their opinions on the incinerator and its proposed locations. According to both Local 10 News and CBS Miami, this night's town hall is a platform for public concerns to be heard before the county commission makes a critical decision about the community's environmental and infrastructural future.
