Miami-Dade County Commission delays new incinerator decision until November
MIAMI - The Miami-Dade County Commission deferred until Nov. 6 on where a new incinerator will be built as part of the county's new Sustainable Solid Waste Campus.
During a packed commission meeting on Tuesday at the Stephen P. Clark Center in downtown Miami, members of the public were allowed to address those in attendance before the decision. A long line formed to speak. Some wore green T-shirts that stated "Miramar says No to Incinerator."
"We are in disagreement over an incinerator that is planned to be in our backyard, that which will hurt all of our families, all the community, wild life and it's really not a good thing to do," said Miramar resident Bernardo Garcia.
Miami-Dade is considering four possible sites. One is in Doral on the site of a former incinerator burned in February of last year. Then there is a site in Medley, the former Opa-locka Airport West site and a tree farm owned by Miami developer David Martin.
Last week, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava reaffirmed her support for the Opa-locka West Airport site.
Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam is opposed to the airport site because it is about two miles from his city. On Friday, he sent a text message to CBS Miami again expressing his opposition.
"I received a call from Mayor Levine-Cava's office informing me of her decision to recommend Airport West as the preferred site to build the Incinerator. This news is infuriating, disappointing and quietly frankly, sad. Despite the massive opposition to the site by every respected environmental organization, it is mind boggling that the mayor would insist on making this recommendation. We ask that the Chair and the Commissioners of Miami Dade County reject this misguided recommendation by Mayor Levine Cava," he wrote.
Messam has threatened to sue if the facility is built near his city.
"Miramar opposes this outrageous recommendation and will FIGHT to protect Our Human Health, Our Lives, Our Clean Water Supply and the Everglades along with our coalition of Environmental Advocates including the Everglades Foundation, Tropical Audubon, Center for Biodiversity and others," he wrote in the text.
The mayor said the county should invest in cleaner, more sustainable waste management solutions.
The county said a study they commissioned debunks any claims that the incinerator would harm residents.
Doral Mayor Christi Fraga has applauded the mayor's preference not to build it in her city.
"For too long, Doral had been affected by a facility that posed health risks and threatened our local environment. Building a new Solid Waste facility at the Airport West location will safeguard Doral's air quality and neighborhoods, allowing our children to play freely and businesses to thrive without the burden of toxic emissions," she wrote in a statement to CBS Miami.
On Friday, the owner of the Medley site, Lowell Dunn II, the CEO of D3 Energy, also expressed his disappointment that the mayor was supporting the airport site. But unlike the mayors of Doral and Miramar, he pitched that his site would be perfect.
"The Medley site is better because it doesn't harm our wildlife, endangered species, or wetlands. It already has the right land use, approvals, and the support of the Town of Medley. All proceeds from the land sale of the Medley site will go to charity. The Opa-locka West site has political problems and many potential lawsuits. We're dedicated and flexible to working with the County to do what's best for the people of Miami-Dade County and our neighbors, including a deal that saves our residents at least $100 million," Dunn said in a message to CBS Miami.