DORAL, Fla. – A cross-county issue involving a waste incinerator is heating up as one Miami-Dade city is fighting a recommendation that it be built and officials have tapped the Trump family for support.
Doral is home to Trump National Doral Miami.
The mayor of Doral is asking the Trump Organization for support, and Juan Carlos Bermudez, the city’s founding mayor who is now a county commissioner met with Eric Trump for lunch.
Wayne Messam is the mayor of Miramar, a Broward County city that has been advocating against a Miami-Dade consideration of building its new incinerator at Airport West, a location near its border and the Everglades.
“We are aware that the Trump Administration has been contacted by stakeholders in Doral,” said Messam. “We believe that Airport West is not a permittable site.”
Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg also weighed in.
Last week, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava changed her recommendation to build it where the old one caught fire in Doral, outlining her plan in a memorandum.
“Our priority is to build a facility that is safe for people and the environment, can integrate seamlessly into the community and include our zero waste initiative, and does not create an undue burden for our rate payers. Following a final analysis of all available locations, the costs of relocating have proven to be extremely high, leading us to recommend the existing site in Doral as the location for a new Solid Waste Campus.
This has not been an easy decision and there is no perfect site for the Solid Waste Campus, but I am confident we are making the best decision we have at hand to protect our residents, our environment and our rate payers. Building a new Solid Waste Campus is a major step toward finding a sustainable long-term solution to our waste challenges while lowering emissions, reducing waste sent to landfills, and accelerating innovative zero waste technologies.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava
“I am assuming the mayor is trying to get her votes,” said Bermudez earlier this week. “That is my assumption, but I can continue. I will be a zealous advocate on the other side.”
Bermudez wondered what the President-elect would think of a new trash-burning facility going up so close to Trump National in Doral.
He met with Donald Trump’s son Eric about the issue on Tuesday, ahead of next week’s scheduled vote by county commissioners.
Bermudez said now could be the time to take a comprehensive view rather than stick with the status quo.
“This facility should not be near any residents,” he said.
A view shared by Messam.
“Incineration should not be in anyone’s backyard, we really need to reimagine solid waste disposal,” he said.
Christi Fraga, the current mayor of Doral, also reached out to the Trump Organization for support.
“Miami-Dade County is growing in population, so you have to plan for that growth, and this is not the solution, putting it on the smallest site,” said Fraga. “You are going to spend $1.2 billion dollars to run into the same problem in 40 years, you are just kicking the can down the road again. I think a lot of people are concerned about this decision.”
Fraga sent the Trump org a copy of Levine-Cava’s memo in which she explained why she is recommending the Doral site and stated how the county generates more than “five million tons of waste each year - more than twice the national average per capita.”
“It is not just the residents, the tourism side too,” Fraga said, adding that a growing number of community stakeholders are asking, “Why? We are not fixing this problem, we are not creating a solution, we are now investing a billion dollars, or $1.2 billion dollars, to not solve a problem. I would say that is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Said Bermudez: “What are we going to do with the existing landfills that are not yet at capacity? Are we ever going to be able to compost? Why are we hitting a zero waste expert if we are never going to get to zero waste?”
Added Messam: “We should look at other ways to reduce the stream of Miami-Dade County’s garbage so that an incinerator is not required.”
Local 10 News has been reaching out to Levine-Cava’s office since Tuesday for comment but we are told she is out of town.
There has been no formal announcement that she plans to defer next week’s scheduled vote on the final site selection.
Both cities of Doral and Miramar plan to have residents in the chamber, and you can also expect to see a variety of environmental groups and advocates.