MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County commissioners voted Wednesday to move forward with building a new waste-to-energy incinerator, but not at the site of the former facility in Doral where a massive fire broke out in 2023.
The motion passed includes a policy commitment to a new incinerator, a requirement that 40 percent of the county’s trash be diverted away from burning, and a directive for Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to negotiate with top firms and return in 90 days with a proposed site and contract terms.
6 p.m. report:
Commissioners made clear that several controversial locations—including Doral, Medley, Sweetwater, 58th Street, Opa-locka West Airport, and any site within a half-mile of residential areas — are off the table.
“Our position has always been that we don’t want the incinerator reconstructed in Doral, nor did we want it in any community, really,” said Doral Vice Mayor Maureen Porras.
The decision was welcomed by Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, whose city borders the Opa-locka West site.
“We were very ecstatic,” Messam said.
But environmentalists and some elected officials say the new shortlist could still put the Everglades at risk —especially if the county considers land just south of Opa-locka West, including a controversial site known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” currently used by the federal government as an immigration detention airstrip.
3 p.m. report:
“Opa-locka West being excluded from the potential sites is a red herring because now they are considering exactly due south of that — even 100 yards to the south — so it is just as vulnerable to the Everglades, same issues to our water table and the environment,” said mayoral candidate Ken Russell.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava defended the plan to move forward with waste-to-energy technology, saying she believes it is “environmentally sound.”
Under the resolution passed Wednesday, :evine Cava is now tasked with negotiating with two firms — FPL and FCC —that had previously submitted campus-style proposals to manage over 1.5 million tons of solid waste per year.
The updated plan allows for that waste to be processed at multiple sites instead of a single large facility, giving planners more flexibility.
The mayor must bring back a recommended site, proposed terms and conditions, and cost considerations — including trash transfer costs — within 90 days.
The motion also requires her to explore a proposed site off Okeechobee Road, even though the developer behind it, Terra Group, now says it is no longer pursuing a land swap.
“If that site is picked by this county commission, I’m sure a deal can be reached,” said District 13 Commissioner Rene Garcia, referencing the proposal.
Still, concerns remain about environmental equity and how close the final site may be to sensitive ecosystems or tribal lands.
“What a shame for the environment and the Everglades, this discussion that was had today — a unanimous vote to move forward of burning garbage — possibly the country’s largest incinerator for burning garbage right here in Miami-Dade County and possibly in the Everglades and possibly putting it in Alligator Alcatraz when the federal government is done with it—this is horrible,” said Russell. “Let’s put it where there is nobody. But what they forget is about the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes that live out by the Everglades. So that location does have a population at risk, does have ecological communities at risk, so they should have moved toward alternatives to burning garbage.”
Mayoral Candidate Ken Russell
Commissioner Kionne McGhee also raised the possibility of including the Alligator Alcatraz site in future discussions, noting how the state government’s use of the Miami-Dade County-owned land may have opened the door.
“We joked about it, and this is one of those conversations we try to shy away from,” McGhee said. “But if the federal government and the state government have already decided they are going to take an airport and do what it is doing now at that location without having any county input, then it is almost as if the federal government and state government have basically put on the record that it is okay to use and look at that particular site for some form of activity outside of what we know the Everglades is known for.
Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said while he’s relieved about Opa-locka West being excluded, he made it clear that the city is still watching the process closely.
“We are not fans of the site,” Messam said. “But obviously the Okeechobee Road site is definitely not as sensitive as Airport West — proximately still in the area.”
Wednesday’s vote comes more than a year after the county’s original incinerator burned down, prompting officials to ship trash out of the county by truck and rail. Since then, proposals have triggered fierce pushback from residents and environmental groups, with many arguing the county should invest in greener alternatives.
“I am tired of showing up every couple of months to talk against incineration,” one resident said during public comment. Another warned: “If we move forward with this new incinerator, we’ll be killing our residents.”
The mayor must bring back a recommended site, proposed terms and conditions, and cost considerations — including trash transfer costs — within 90 days.
The motion also requires her to explore a proposed site off Okeechobee Road, even though the developer behind it, Terra Group, now says it is no longer pursuing a land swap.
“We have no knowledge of why this proposal (is) being reintroduced on the Commission Agenda. We have not had any conversations with Miami-Dade Solid Waste or the Mayor’s office since late last year. Likewise, our original land swap proposal has never been recommended by the Mayor or Commission. As such, our partnership has considered this proposal something in which the County was no longer interested. We have since foregone our partnership and are not prepared to move forward with the original land swap proposal at this time.”
