Some residents are fed up with a certain smell - the funky smell coming from a waste energy facility in Doral. But this city's mayor says it is a county issue.
“It’s like a huge dump truck dumped a bunch of trash right in front of your face,” said Ivette Gonzalez-Petkovich, who lives nearby.
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Petkovich and her neighbors have been dealing with the issue for years. A neighborhood nuisance she claims is running the quality of life for hundreds of residents in the area.
"It just literally hits you in the face and it’s really incredible unpleasant," she said.
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The Covanta Waste Energy Facility at Northwest 97th Avenue and 69th Street was built back in 1985 on land owned by Miami-Dade County. Over the years, residential communities in Doral expanded closer to the plant making - this odoriferous ordeal an even bigger problem.
"I don’t see this as a Doral issue, I see this as a county issue," Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bernudez said, who says he wants to step in and work out a deal with Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Covanta’s lease expires in 2023, but automatically renews for up to 20 more years if the county doesn’t take action before October 2022.
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"(Levine Cava) needs to put the operator on notice that there needs to be a renegotiation,” Bermudez said, adding that will give the county time to come up with other possible solutions to allow the company continue to operate, but without the smelly burden for people who live nearby.
Levine Cava responded with a statement, saying in part:
“We are aware of the concerns with the Covanta facility and appreciate Mayor Bermudez for sharing this letter on behalf of his city, as we are currently working hard to figure out the best path forward and exploring all possible opportunities.”
