Government & Politics

Broward again votes to defer decision over expansion of 'Mount Trashmore' landfill

WLRN Public Media | By Carlton Gillespie

Published January 28, 2025 at 10:36 PM EST

A wheel loader moved a pile of mixed, unsorted recycled materials, including plastic, cardboard, paper, that recently arrived at the Waste Management Recycling Plant at 20701 Pembroke Road in Pembroke Pines, Fla, on Friday, April 8, 2022.

The Broward County Commission on Tuesday again voted to defer a vote on a series of proposals that would expand the Monarch Hill Landfill until the commission meets on Feb. 25.

The proposals would allow for the height of the landfill, known locally as Mount Trashmore, to be up to 325 feet tall — an increase of 100 feet — and for an expansion of the horizontal footprint of the site by almost 25 acres.

The deferral is meant to give the county’s Solid Waste Authority time to determine if the Monarch Hill site could have any future use for anything other than a landfill.

The Solid Waste Authority is currently creating its Regional Solid Waste and Recycling Master Plan that will assess the capability of the current waste disposal system in the county and recommend improvements over the next 40 years.

Currently a draft of the plan is expected in August. But members of the Solid Waste Authority, including County Mayor Beam Furr, indicated that the 30 days would be enough time to discuss whether or not the site factors into the long term plan for solid waste in the county.

Representatives from Waste Management present to the Broward County Commission to advocate for the expansion of the Monarch Hill Landfill

By deferring the vote for less than 30 days, the 37 members of the public who spoke in opposition Tuesday, including the mayors of Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Sunrise and Southwest Ranches, will not be able to speak at the meeting on Feb. 25.

Another crucial component to the deferral is that it prevents Waste Management’s concessions from expiring.

If the vertical and horizontal expansion is approved, Waste Management has agreed to end the acceptance of household waste in the landfill, limit out-of-county waste, and use composting and methane capture on waste shipped to its Okeechobee landfill.

There is also a provision that allows 18 months for the county to purchase the expanded 25 acre parcel from Waste Management at fair market rate should the county wish to use the site for a recycling facility.

The motion to defer was approved unanimously.