Trash talk dominated the Miami-Dade County Commission meeting Wednesday as county leaders considered where to build a new trash incinerator and voted to approve increased collection fees for residents.
The county's old trash incinerator, which was located in Doral, went up in flames in February, seriously impacting the garbage workflow. The facility burned about 1,000,000 tons of trash each year — about half of the garbage collected at Miami-Dade County annually.
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WATCH HEREOne of the proposed sites of the new trash facility is the site of the old Opa-locka West Airport, near the intersection of Krome Avenue and Okeechobee Road. Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam spoke at the commission meeting, saying this site is concerning to his residents since it's just one mile from Miramar.
"Think about it being in your backyard, regardless of what you will hear about — it may not blow off black smoke, it may not smell as bad as some of the contemporary facilities that have been built years ago, but just because it is unseen, does not mean it is not a nuisance," Messam said.
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But Doral's mayor said his city is done accommodating one of the county's largest trash facilities. In the past, residents around the facility complained of the smell.
"We have been paying the price for over 20 years already," Mayor Rafael Pineyro said. "I think it is the time for Miami-Dade Commissioners to do the right thing for the residents of Doral."
Two other sites are also being considered for the trash facility. The Environmental Protection Agency will be involved in the decision.
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Commissioners Wednesday also approved a trash rate increase for residents. The trash collection fee increase will add $36 to the current annual fee of $509. It's due, in part, to climbing operational, staffing, and global recycling costs exacerbated by the long-term impact of the pandemic.
The increase would also offset the costs of the recycling program and other waste services operational for over 366,176 households.
Some commissioners were adamant about not raising taxes and fees, including Commissioner Kevin M. Cabrera, who argued residents are already grappling with several challenges due to inflation. He suggested temporarily halting the existing recycling program, calling it ineffective.
“Let's figure out ways to make it better," he said in a previous interview with NBC6.
Other commissioners, including County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, said the investment was needed in order to keep up the garbage collection in Miami-Dade County.
