Waste Management

Miami-Dade plans to build the largest incinerator in the country that will process 4,000 tons of trash a day.

Environmental concerns, Doral's objections, Trump's 'illegal' involvement - what now for Miami-Dade's new incinerator?

Jimena Romero

The debate over the location of a new trash incinerator in Miami-Dade is heating up again with Eric Trump, the son of the president-elect, joining the fight against it being built in the city of Doral — with a commissioner telling WLRN any intervention from the President-elect's family would be "illegal."

Wayne Messam, City of Miramar Mayor, with some residents and advocates protesting in front of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center.

Government & Politics

Miramar mayor: New incinerator is 'threat to anyone's community'

Jimena Romero

Miami-Dade County commissioners, following a public hearing, have deferred a final vote until Nov. 6 after widespread community opposition to the building of a new incinerator. Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam says the county's plan to build a new trash incinerator near his Broward city raises serious economical and environmental concerns.

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.

Environment

'We're gonna have serious problems': Public officials look to solve South Florida's longer-term trash conundrum

Daniel Rivero

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rene Garcia tells WLRN that waste management is not always top of mind for a lot of people. But the Covanta energy plant fire in Doral has pushed for a rethink of South Florida's relationship with trash — how much waste people produce and where to put our garbage for the long haul.

Landfills produce a lot of methane, a heat-trapping gas that contributes to global warming. With scientists calling for cuts in methane emissions, there are challenges to curbing these emissions from landfills, starting with even quantifying them. Pictured here is Waste Management landfill in Livermore, Calif.

Broward leaders eye new recycling solutions as landfill nears capacity

Gerard Albert

Broward County commissioners and leaders at Waste Management are trying to find ways to make recycling easier and more efficient in South Florida.

A 2022 aerial view of the Miami-Dade Resources Recovery Facility-Covanta Energy incinerator plant located at 6990 NW 97th Ave. in Doral.

Environment

No airborne health threats from garbage fire, Miami-Dade officials say

Daniel Rivero

Stretching into its fourth day, the fire at the Covanta Energy incinerator plant in Doral continued to burn Thursday as Miami-Dade County officials again stressed that there was no immediate pollutant threat for neighboring residents.

Luca Martinez, a junior in high school at Palmer Trinity School in Palmetto Bay, has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views on social media for his beautiful photography and videos of wildlife in Florida.

Nurse educators shortage, Broward’s trash woes, Wildlife Thursday: Florida's swamp on TikTok

Leslie Ovalle Atkinson

There’s a growing nursing shortage and it starts with a growing nursing educator shortage. Broward County communities are looking to start a new trash district. Plus, a teenage TikTok star who spends his time in the Everglades making beautiful photos and videos.

Hollywood Is Switching Rewards Programs For Recycling. And Yes, You Can Still Recycle Paper

Caitie Muñoz

Hollywood wants more people to recycle – and to make sure they do it the right way. Starting April 1, the city is switching up its incentives program to…

Did DEP Injection Well Meeting Break The Law? It's Hard To Tell, Expert Says

A recent Florida Department of Environmental Protection hearing has raised questions about the process the state agency uses to advertise public…

Water Tests After Sewage Releases Don’t Give Complete Picture Of Health Risks

Julio Ochoa

The state has received reports of more than 268 million gallons of sewage that spilled onto roads and into water around Florida so far this year and...