Commissioner J.C. Bermudez our representative and a critical person supporting Doral on the Covanta future will be with us to talk about the results of the Miami-Dade Commission vote and what we can expect in the near future

After careful consideration and collaboration, a positive consensus has been reached. It has been determined that the most favorable location for the county’s resource facility, along with a comprehensive campus to address waste management concerns, is situated on Krome Avenue and U.S. 27.

This update reflects a significant milestone in addressing our waste management challenges. The board and administration recognize the urgency to enhance our approach, as underinvestment in our solid waste system is not an option. Federal and state grant opportunities are primed for capital projects, allowing for substantial investment. Concurrently, a strategic restructuring of the funding mechanism ensures operational affordability for our residents.

The recommendations, introduced at the outset of this communication, will soon translate into concrete legislation and procurement measures under the board’s direction. As we journey towards a more sustainable future, the example set by Palm Beach County, where waste-to-landfill practices have ceased, fuels our aspiration.

An upcoming Board meeting, in accordance with Ordinance No. 14-65, will continue this discussion. For more insights, don’t hesitate to contact us, Doral Community Coalition, at doralcommunitycoalition@gmail.com.

Stay tuned as we unfold more details and progress on this remarkable endeavor, contributing to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Doral.

We are committed to our role in educating and advancing the best interests of our community and ensuring a sustainable future for Doral. Through open dialogue and a commitment to the cause, we are actively working towards positive change.

Stay tuned for further updates on our progress and how you can get involved in shaping the future of our city!

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Doral fire
CBS NEWS MIAMI
A new in-depth report by environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice and grassroots group Florida Rising detailed the air pollution and public health and safety hazards residents faced from the massive fire that burned at the Covanta Energy waster incinerator back in February. The report found “dangerous concentrations” of toxic pollutants and chemical contaminants at the facility and across Doral as the fire burned for almost three weeks.

After analyzing official air quality reports from monitoring stations across the city, the report found concentrations of Particulate Matter 2.5 — a toxic air pollutant — at levels deemed “unhealthy” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as early as Feb. 14. Despite Miami-Dade County’s official statements that there was no air quality or environmental safety concerns from the fire, exposure to Particulate Matter 2.5 is linked to numerous health conditions, including asthma, decreased lung and organ function, and irregular heartbeat, according to the report.

Concentrations of volatile organic compounds, chlorine, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide were also detected in the air at levels the EPA classifies as “unsafe” for humans, the report stated.

“No community should have to endure the nightmare that Doral residents went through,” stated Sebastian Caicedo, Miami Regional Director of Florida Rising.

After assessing records from Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), the report also found water quality issues at the site during the fire and asbestos contamination in the walls and roof of the incinerator facility that was demolished, with asbestos-containing materials taken to the nearby Medley Landfill.

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Fire at county waste collection site in Doral
CBS NEWS MIAMI
“It will take a long time before the public health effects of this disaster are fully realized, but this report makes one thing immediately clear: trash incineration is not clean, safe, or sustainable, contrary to what industry would want us to believe,” Caicedo added.

The report also found that there have been four other fires at Covanta’s Doral facility in the past four years. Before the February fire, Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection warned Miami-Dade County of potential violations at the facility that included fire safety hazards, the report stated.

Photos and video of the plumes of black smoke engulfing the community went viral across social media, along with the renewed outrage that not only the 40-year-old incinerator was still in operation but that Miami-Dade County has not definitively ruled out building a new incinerator in Doral or elsewhere.

Covanta fire scene
A fire at a Doral recyclable energy plant sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air Sunday afternoon.
CBS 4
Last year, Florida Rising documented in a civil rights complaint to the EPA that Florida’s municipal trash incinerators disproportionately harm communities of color and communities where they have limited English-speaking skills. Florida Rising and Earthjustice join other environmental and public health advocates, demanding that Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava remove waste incineration funding from the county’s Zero Waste and Climate Action plans.

“We welcome the chance to provide public input into a true Zero Waste plan for Miami-Dade County,” Caicedo stated.

“Miami-Dade has a historic opportunity to be a leader in our state in reducing harmful emissions, improving public health, and strengthening racial equity through the County’s Zero Waste Action Plan,” added Dominique Burkhardt, Earthjustice Senior Attorney and the report’s lead author.

“Rather than focusing on an industry of the past, Miami-Dade should be prioritizing true Zero Waste solutions like waste reduction, composting, and recycling, instead of propping up an industry that will lead to dirtier air and increased sickness.”

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/

Firefighters respond to a fire at a waste management facility in Doral, Florida.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

(CNN) – A fire at a waste management facility in South Florida has continued burning for nearly a week, prompting officials in Miami-Dade County on Friday to close parks, dismiss two schools and urge residents near the waste-to-energy plant to stay indoors due to air quality concerns.

The fire that started Sunday at the Covanta Energy plant in Doral has has been burning in two structures at the facility, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a news briefing Friday. The mayor said officials are monitoring the fire to determine if the smoke from the blaze is toxic.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No injuries have been reported.

The facility, operated by waste management company Covanta, diverts “waste from landfills to generate energy from the combustion of municipal solid waste,” its website says.

Miami-Dade County officials warned residents in a Friday update they “anticipate an increase in smoky conditions” as firefighters reach the center of the fire.

The county said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urged residents who live near the site to stay indoors on Friday, adding that young children, pregnant mothers, older adults and anyone with preexisting respiratory and cardiac conditions should take extra precautions, such as wearing a mask outdoors.

“Please keep your windows rolled up if you need to drive through the area, and run your air conditioning at home to re-circulate air in your house,” the county update said.

The county said in its update that the Doral Glades Park and the Doral Legacy Park were closing on Friday, and all outdoor activities scheduled in the city would be rescheduled.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools said in a written statement that children at two schools in the district would be dismissed early due to air quality concerns.

Parents and guardians of students attending the Andrea Castillo Preparatory Academy and Ronald W. Reagan Doral Senior High School were encouraged to pick up their children early from school, the school district said in a statement.

Firefighters with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue are “working tirelessly to put out the blaze,” the county said, including the demolition of one building that will allow firefighters to better fight the blaze.

Why is the fire still burning at the waste plant?
During a news conference Thursday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah explained the exhaustive efforts by fire crews to contain the blaze and why it’s continued burning for days.

Jadallah said about 100 firefighters were working the fire and explained there were four separate ongoing operations attempting to battle it, including efforts to extinguish the trash currently on fire and the two buildings ablaze; a partial demolition of a building on the southeast side of the property to gain better access; shuttling trash near the fire to another area to prevent the blaze from worsening; and an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

“I know this question comes up quite often is how long is the fire going to burn?” Jadallah said. “Until we actually remove the remainder of the walls, and actually get the apparatuses in there, the heavy machinery to remove the trash, we won’t have an exact idea.”

Fire operations were temporarily put on hold around 5 a.m. Friday so crews could demolish a wall to allow them more access to the area. Jadallah said crews moved in large machinery to remove parts of the wall but were met with worsening smoke due to a mixture of the overcast weather, the machine interacting with burning trash and the temporary halting of firefighters working to douse the blaze.

Around 1 p.m., fire crews resumed dousing the blaze with multiple firetrucks.

“We continue to partner with our numerous state and federal agencies, including the EPA and ATF,” Jadallah said.

“I know that we faced some significant challenges, as we’ve already discussed, over the course of the last several days, including today, but we continue to move swiftly and we’re making some significant progress,” he said.

CNN’s Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report.

Spurce: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/17/us/miami-dade-florida-energy-facility-fire/index.html

AT THIS TIME WE WANT TO ALERT THE CITY OF DORAL RESIDENTS THAT WE ARE AWAITING FOR AN IMMEDIATE REPORT FROM THE EPA (WITH WHOM THE DORAL COMMUNITY COALITION HAS ALREADY BEEN IN CONTACT WITH..) ABOUT THE AIR QUALITY IN OUR CITY. STAY TUNED BECAUSE WE EXPECT IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD, THAT WOULD AFFECT OUR FAMILIES AND THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.

WILL KEEP YOU ALL UPDATED.

As you may already be aware, the Coalition has two pending legal actions with the County against Covanta. One is regarding the odor control and the EDP (Florida Dept of Environmental Protection) permit renewal for the existing plant. This issue may not be relevant anymore due to the current situation at the plant. The other one is a legal action to declare illegal the decision made by the County to rebuild the plant within the City of Doral, at the same current location. We are looking forward to a resolution by the judge that would favor the residents of our City.

The fire that starts in this facility during the past weekend, and still continues to burn, is further proof that this type of facility should not be abutting residential areas, public parks, or schools. It is time for our County officials to act accordingly, placing the residents and their well-being first, while the Coalition continues to work actively with them, especially with our Commissioner J. C. Bermudez. The County must revisit the situation and work towards moving the plant out of any residential area like Doral. If you haven’t already it is time to join forces to secure the future of our City and the families that reside here.