Miami-Dade Commissioners Postpone Decision on New Waste Incinerator Amid Public Concern

The saga of Miami-Dade's search for a solution to manage its mountainous trash problems continues, with the Board of Commissioners once again hitting pause on the vote to determine the site of a potential new waste incinerator. Originally burned down in 2023, the commissioners originally slated to take a vote in July, but they have decided to wait for additional comprehensive analysis, as reported by Hoodline. The county has been grappling with two million tons of waste, previously managed by the now-defunct Doral incinerator.

Concerns are not light among residents, especially in Miramar and Doral, where the idea of a new incinerator has been met with solid opposition. According to NBC Miami, Miramar's Mayor Wayne Messam stressed the importance of a safe environment, stating, "Without our safe environment, we don't have life." Given these concerns, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has suggested an alternate path, that of continuing to transport trash via train while scouting for a landfill outside the county's borders.

As for the commission's meeting, which took place today, it's still not clear whether a final decision on the incinerator was reached. However, the topic was on the agenda for discussion, as noted by CBS News Miami. The proposed site list has included the former Opa-locka West Airport, a stretch on Okeechobee Road, the previous Doral location, and a site in Medley.

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga urged residents on social media to lodge their opposition to an incinerator within Doral city limits. After enduring already for decades health and environmental problems, Fraga has made it clear that another incinerator is not a welcome notion. Meanwhile, worries stretch beyond Miami-Dade County, with Mayor Messam highlighting the wide-reaching impact a facility could have. "Pembroke Pines will be impacted, Southwest Ranches will be impacted, Weston will be impacted. If you're west of I-75, you're going to be impacted. It's probably over 200,000 to 300,000 Broward county residents that would be within limits of the impacts of this facility," he told CBS News Miami.

Mayor Levine Cava's changed stance earlier this year, now advocating for a new landfill over another incinerator, was documented in a memo covered in late January. "I am recommending that we continue to long haul waste via truck and rail using our contracted capacity while we continue exploring options to build a landfill outside of Miami-Dade county," she wrote, as noted by CBS News Miami.