Doral Trash Plant

Since a waste-to-energy facility in Doral burned down in 2023, Miami-Dade has been shipping much of its trash north. It’s an expensive short-term fix for taxpayers as the county struggles to find a local solution. And in St. Lucie County, where the trash is put into trains to be shipped to Okeechobee County, it has created quite a stink.

The county has not made a final decision on a new waste-to-energy facility amid resident environmental concerns, as two bidders work on a joint proposal.

“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,” Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said in a statement.

The resignation of Miami-Dade County’s trash chief last week came just months after a fire at the Covanta trash incinerator plant in Doral shut it down indefinitely. Without it, the county’s trash is filling up landfills — quickly. Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Morales and Commissioner Raquel Regalado told WLRN how they view the situation.