‘Nobody wants it’: Community speaks out in hearing ahead of Miami-Dade incinerator vote

During a meeting Tuesday to hear public opinion on the location of a new trash incinerator, the Miami-Dade County Commission’s dilemma came into clear focus: Build the country’s largest trash-burning plant closer to a sensitive natural environment or nearby neighborhoods?

“I appreciate everyone talking on behalf of the plants and mosquitoes, but please don’t build this near my kids, near my community,” Ezra Valdes, a Doral resident told commissioners.

Miami-Dade commissioners are expected to vote next week on selecting the location for the new incinerator after the old one in Doral burned down last year, forcing the county to ship the garbage some 100 miles north.

“These are difficult decisions we need to make,” said Commissioner Raquel Regalado, whose District 7 covers parts of Miami, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest and South Miami. “The environmental concern is brought up with what we do with our trash but also what neighborhood this goes in. This is such an important decision for our community.”

County officials want to build the incinerator somewhere – the debate has pit environmental groups against neighborhood advocates before the vote next week.

The four sites being considered are the former Opa-locka Airport West site near the Broward County line, an industrial area in Medley, the original location in Doral and a tree farm owned by David Martin, a Miami-Dade developer.

Martin offered his land as the fourth and newest location for the county to consider. The site, like the Airport West site near Broward, falls outside of the Urban Development Boundary, meant to protect the Everglades from development and urban sprawl.

“Everglades restoration is the number one priority but we need regional solutions,” Regalado said. She was one of five commissioners in attendance.

READ MORE: Miami-Dade w ill soon pick a site for new trash incinerator. Miramar opposes the top pick

Miramar residents showed up wearing green shirts with “not in our backyard” printed on them. Doral residents appeared in blue shirts that read “Doral united for cleaner and pure air.”

Many told commissioners on Tuesday they do not want the incinerator in their neighborhood. The reasons vary – from air quality to foul smell and health concerns. Miramar strongly opposes the new tree farm site off Okeechobee Road – and Doral thinks it’s a great idea to consider.

Miramar Mayor Wayne M. Messam, who also spoke on the item, has said he is prepared to sue if the county picks the site near Broward’s border.

“It simply does not make so much sense to take such a huge risk,” Messam told the press after the meeting. “It will put ash next to our drinking water supply.”

Prominent environmental groups are siding with Miramar — including the Everglades Foundation, Tropical Audubon Society, Miami Waterkeeper, Everglades Law Center and Environmentalists for NAACP.

“Fractures in the geology will allow for more pollutants in our aquifer,” said Keely Weyker, representing the Everglades Foundation.

READ MORE: Miami-Dade plans to build the biggest waste-to-energy facility in the country

The Sierra Club said the incinerator should not even be an option at the table. They call the incinerator a red herring solution for the environment — and that the energy it takes to burn trash, and the ash leftover, is not zero waste.

“We are pitting communities against communities. Nobody wants it. We all share the same air,” said Noel Cleland, the regional chair of the Sierra Club. “We have a global issue with greenhouse gases and this is adding to it.”

The organization suggested looking into ways to reduce consumption and remove the organic waste from the landfill and compost it. Currently, there is no legal pathway to building a large-scale compost facility in the county because of zoning and permitting rules.

According to an Arcadis study commissioned by the county last year, the average person in the county throws twice as much trash into the landfill than the average person in the country.

The aging facility that burned down last year in Doral processed half of the county’s trash. The new incinerator will cost $1.5 billion and potentially be capable of turning 4,000 tons a day of trash into electricity and alternative fuels. There also is potential for the county to add carbon capture technology to make it a “net zero” facility, reducing emissions that fuel climate change, according to the consulting firm working with the county.

In the coming days, Commissioner Keon Hardemon said there will be another evaluation that includes all four sites made available to the public before the vote.

Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.