Doral, Medley, Miramar mayors weigh in as Miami-Dade decides where to build a new incinerator

MIAMI – Miami-Dade has a dirty controversy on its hands, where to build a major trash incinerator to replace the one that burned down last year in Doral.

Air quality testing was done at three proposed sites; the site in Doral where it went up in flames, the defunct Opa-locka West Airport, and an industrial site in Medley.

Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam says he doesn’t want the county dumping its trash in Broward’s backyard which is what would happen if they choose to build the waste management site next door at the airport site.

“If you’re west of I-75 you’re going to be impacted. There’s probably over, maybe 200,000 to 300,000 Broward County residents that would be within limits of the impact of this facility,” said Messam.  

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga said according to the air quality report, the best of the three sites under consideration is the defunct Opa-locka West airport.

Unlike the other two mayors, Medley Mayor Roberto Martell said he wants the incinerator built in his city.

“We already have waste management in our city. This needs to be in Dade County and this is a perfect area because it is an industrial city and next to the landfill they could put the incinerator,” he said.

A decision on the preferred site will be sent to the county’s commission in September.