Miramar residents gather in opposition to proposed incinerator
MIRAMAR - Dozens of residents came together Wednesday night to express their opposition to a mass burn industrial campus that Miami-Dade County wants to build at one of four places, including the former Opa-locka Airport West site near the Broward County line and Miramar.
"Mayor Levine-Cava recommended the airport west site; that is the site that's just an eighth of a mile from Sunset Lakes Community," said Mayor Wayne Messam with the City of Miramar.
The proposal comes after the trash incinerator in Doral burned down last February.
"They're in a very urgent situation to begin the process to build an incinerator to be able to meet the disposal needs because the time period to build an incinerator can be anywhere from 7 to 10 years," said Mayor Messam.
Dozens of residents raised concerns about the proposed incinerator site, calling it dangerous for the well-being of the people who live there.
"It causes cancer, it causes respiratory abnormalities and who shows up first with those abnormalities? The children," said one resident.
Era Martinez Malo and son Sebastion, who lives with lung failure, are extremely worried.
"My son is a lung transplant candidate, so they have to think about the kids," said Era.
"I have autism, and I have oxygen right now because I can't breathe a lot," said Sebastian.
Mayor Messam pledged to continue fighting for residents and asked them to keep showing up to oppose the incinerator.
Miami-Dade County commissioners have deferred a final vote until Nov. 6.
