Miami-Dade County leaders might decide as soon as this morning where to build a new garbage incinerator.
The previous one, the Covanta Waste-to-Energy Plant in Doral, burned down in February of last year.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava held a town hall last night to discuss potential sites. Miami-Dade residents joining the meeting online had a lot of questions for county leaders about how the county plans to tackle waste management.
"Given that it will take approximately nine to ten years to build a new incinerator, and during this time, Miami is committed to move toward a zero-waste future. How do we ensure that the incinerator would remain viable," said a Key Biscayne resident during public comment.
Last Year, Levine Cava announced top five strategies to protect the environment — including a commitment for zero waste in Miami Dade. Plans include expanding organic composting and mulching of tree trimmings, greater and more effective recycling and replacing single-use plastics and polystyrene with reusable and compostable alternatives.
Questions about Miami-Dade County's waste management crisis comes at a time when landfills are reaching full capacity. Some residents are concerned that environmental standards will change in the time that it will take to build out the incinerator.
"Is it possible that we could be throwing our money away — taxpayer money — if the EPA emission standards shut down incinerators throughout the country?," said one Richard, a resident from Southwest Ranches.
Out of the four proposed sites, Levine Cava said the best option that meets the county's current and future disposal needs is an abandoned airfield on the northern edge of Miami-Dade known as Airport West. Other potential sites for an incinerator included Doral, Medley and Okeechobee.
READ MORE: ‘Nobody wants it’: Community speaks out in hearing ahead of Miami-Dade incinerator vote
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