Miramar city officials applauded Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s decision on Friday to change her position and recommend a new incinerator be constructed in Doral.
Levine Cava had initially recommended a site near the Broward County line and Miramar, which drew intense opposition from Miramar Mayor Wayne M. Messam and city residents.
“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 a statement.
In her memo released Friday, Levine Cava wrote that relocating the incinerator outside Doral’s location would cost taxpayers more than $800 million over 20 years.
“Our priority is to build a facility that is safe for people and the environment, can integrate seamlessly into the community and include our zero waste initiative, and does not create an undue burden for our ratepayers,” she wrote. “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.”
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The search for a new trash facility began after the previous incinerator in Doral burned down in February 2023. That incinerator handled half of the county’s trash. The new incinerator will cost an estimated $1.5 billion to build and is projected to process up to 4,000 tons of trash daily, making it the largest in the country.
Miami-Dade officials were weighing four options: the former Opa-locka Airport West site near the Broward County line and Miramar, an industrial area in Medley, the previous location in Doral and a tree farm owned by Miami-Dade developer David Martin.
“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,” said Messam. “We are hopeful that the Miami Dade County Board of County Commissioners will support their mayor’s recommendation.”
Where to locate the incinerator is now in the hands of Miami-Dade commissioners, which meets on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to talk about the county's options.
