Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has provided an update on the debate over plans for a new trash incinerator in Miami-Dade. Levine Cava sent a memo to county commissioners, stating that she now recommends placing the new incinerator in Doral at the same location that burned in February 2023.
There are several sites under consideration, including the old Opa-Locka West Airport location near Miramar.
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In the memo, Levine Cava explained that keeping the incinerator in Doral would be less expensive than moving it.
“Our priority is to build a facility that is safe for people and the environment, integrates seamlessly into the community, includes our zero waste initiative, and does not create an undue burden for our ratepayers. Following a final analysis of all available locations, the costs of relocating have proven to be extremely high, leading us to recommend the existing site in Doral as the location for a new Solid Waste Campus,” Levine Cava said in the memo. “This has not been an easy decision, and there is no perfect site for the Solid Waste Campus, but I am confident we are making the best decision available to protect our residents, our environment, and our ratepayers.”
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The Miami-Dade commission is expected to vote on the issue next month.
NBC6 has reached out to the city of Doral but has not heard back.
Miramar mayor Wayne Messam released a statement calling on Miami-Dade commissioners to follow Mayor Levine Cava's recommendation.
“Mayor Levine Cava’s willingness to listen to diverse voices from varied walks of life, experiences, and disciplines—and then recalibrate her position based on new data—is a hallmark of leadership,” Messam said in the statement. “On behalf of our residents and colleagues on the City Commission, I thank Mayor Levine Cava for recognizing the valid concerns of Miramar’s residents and affirming the importance of protecting their health and safety. While we commend this recommendation to select an alternative site to Airport West, this is just one step in a larger process. Miramar remains resolute in our commitment to safeguarding the health of our community and advocating for sustainable solid waste solutions that do not rely on incineration.”
Wayne Messam and Miramar residents have been vocal about the potential health and environmental impacts of having an incinerator near their city.
“Until a formal vote is taken or the incinerator is rejected altogether, the City of Miramar remains at risk if Mayor Levine Cava’s recommendation is not voted on affirmatively. We are hopeful that the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners will support their mayor’s recommendation,” Mayor Messam said.
