Miami-Dade leaders are examining three potential sites for the construction of a new waste-to-energy facility and on Tuesday held a meeting that included a discussion of their incinerator plans, which left one Broward mayor threatening a lawsuit.
Miami-Dade commissioners discussed the three sites, at the Airport West, Medley and the Resource Recovery Facility site in Doral.
They had directed the mayor to bring back a report detailing the air quality modeling results and environmental impacts and mitigation identified by the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources.
The report the commission accepted on Tuesday reportedly found that the Doral location would be the fastest and least expensive option, while the site at an existing landfill in Medley would be the most complicated and challenging.
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That leaves the site near Miramar, but Mayor Wayne Messam addressed the commission Tuesday morning, insisting that building the incinerator at the Airport West location would be a mistake and warning of legal action.
"Miramar will file suit if this site is selected," Messam said. "A powerful coalition of environmental organizations that have previously sued Miami-Dade County before on similar matters – successfully, I might add – will join in."
This comes just weeks after Messam was joined by city leaders in Miramar and other Broward cities to fight plans that could see the new Miami-Dade trash incinerator built less than a mile away.
On Tuesday at the commission meeting, Messam also took a moment to list some of the reasons for why the incinerator should not be built nearby.
"Based on the science we have reviewed to date and the experts we have consulted, the county could not have picked a more inappropriate location," Messam explained. "It’s bad for the environment, it’s bad for the public, it’s bad for the region’s supply of clean water, and will trigger a decade of litigation."
MIAMI-DADE WASTE FACILITY
While closing, the mayor brought up federal concerns.
"We also believe the Department of Justice will file suit to protect an array of federal concerns and interests I’ll discuss in a moment," Messam added.
Environmentalists and neighbors showed up to the news conference back in April wearing t-shirts and holding signs that said "Not in our backyard." At the news conference, a map was displayed that showed the proposed site is about 1/8th of a mile from a housing development and just over a mile from an Everglades Conservation area.
The Broward leaders feel they've been left in the dark and without a seat at the table, given how close their communities are to the possible incinerator.
Messam urged Miami-Dade leaders including Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to listen to their concerns.
"The mayor's doing a great job in leading Miami-Dade County but on this issue they have a decision to make, they have a charge to process refuse in their county but they can do that in a manner that does not impact their residents and our residents right here in Broward County," Messam said. "They can do that in a way that’s sustainable, they can do that in a way that does not harm the environment."
NBC6 then obtained a statement from Levine Cava.
"Miami-Dade County has a unique opportunity to invest in and modernize our 40-year-old solid waste management system and turn it into a financially sustainable, environmentally responsible program that will grow with the needs of our community. We understand the concerns of all residents and that is why all three sites are being reviewed thoroughly to ensure we select the site with the least environmental and fiscal impacts, as well as to ensure the highest standards of air quality, human health and quality of life," the statement read. "We expect to present the initial results to the County Commission and all community stakeholders later this year, and there will be ample opportunity to engage local governments and residents in this process. Our priority continues to be to minimize the impact of the facility’s operations to the community and the environment, as we prepare our community and our infrastructure for the future."
"It affects our air quality, it affects our water, so that is our main concern," Miramar Commissioner Yvette Colbourne said.
If approved by Miami-Dade commissioners, it would replace the county's previous waste-to-energy plant in Doral, which went up in flames in February 2023 and burned for days.
For years, residents had complained about the odor from the site and after the fire, air quality and health concerns became a main topic of conversation.
The plant, operated by Covanta Energy and responsible for processing about 50% of the county's trash, has been closed since.
The elected officials are asking residents to sign a petition at Miramarfl.gov/NOBURN
