Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has advised against building a new incinerator to replace the waste-to-energy facility destroyed in a fire in 2023, citing high costs and potential legal challenges.
The decision follows months of fierce opposition from Miramar officials and neighboring communities to a proposed site at Opa-locka West Airport, just an eighth of a mile from West Miramar.
Since April, Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam and local leaders from Weston, Pembroke Pines, and Southwest Ranches have rallied against the Opa-locka West site. In September, Miramar escalated its opposition by threatening legal action.
The proposed facility was intended to replace the Doral incinerator, which processed 50% of Miami-Dade’s waste before a devastating fire in February 2023. While county officials identified Opa-locka West as the site with the lowest risks compared to Medley and Doral, opponents highlighted the environmental and health hazards.
In a memo to the Board of County Commissioners, the mayor proposed continuing to transport waste via contracted landfill capacity while exploring the construction of a landfill outside the county as a long-term solution.
The memo highlights three options for waste disposal moving forward:
- Use of Contracted Capacity: The county has agreements with Waste Management and Waste Connections for 3.5 million tons of landfill capacity, including transport by truck and rail.
- Building a Landfill Outside Miami-Dade County: A preliminary estimate for a new landfill suggests costs of $556 million for construction and $163 million annually for operations. This option would take approximately 10 years to permit and build.
- Constructing a Replacement Waste-to-Energy Facility: Despite extensive research into six potential sites, including Doral, NW 58th Street, and Opa-locka West Airport, the mayor deemed this option too costly, with capital costs ranging from $1.5 billion to $1.9 billion and potential legal challenges likely to delay progress.
Miami-Dade’s waste management challenges are becoming critical, with the North Dade Landfill expected to reach capacity in five years and the South Dade Landfill in just four. Delays in deciding on a replacement facility could also slash insurance recovery from the original incinerator by over 50%.
In her memo, Mayor Levine Cava emphasized balancing waste disposal needs with fiscal responsibility: “Ultimately, our top priority is to meet our disposal capacity needs while protecting our ratepayers, keeping overall taxes and fees low, and safeguarding our long-term fiscal health, and this option achieves those goals.”
The board is expected to deliberate on the proposed recommendations in the coming weeks, with the fate of Miami-Dade’s waste management strategy hanging in the balance.
