Coalition urges shift from, toxic incineration to true sustainable, zero waste management solutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2024
Miami, FL — The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and environmental justice groups from Florida’s anti-incineration coalition strongly oppose Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s recent memo recommending the Opa-Locka Airport West location as the site for a new “waste-to-energy” (WTE) facility—a misleading, greenwashed term for an incinerator. GAIA and the coalition warn that this decision places already overburdened vulnerable communities at heightened risk of toxic pollution, perpetuates environmental racism, and locks in costly, harmful practices, for decades to come.
“Incineration and other thermal technologies will pose significant environmental and health hazards to West Broward’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Latinx communities and the environmentally sensitive wetland ecosystems of the Florida Everglades. The livelihoods and lives of the Miccosukee Tribe who live, work, and farm in Water Conservation Area 3A of the Everglades, are particularly at risk due to the proximity of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s recommendation,” said coalition member Richard Ramcharitar, Founder & Director of Broward Clean Air. “Our government should not approve and fund billions of taxpayer dollars to build and operate trash-burning incinerators anywhere in Florida.”
In Florida, nine out of ten incinerators are located within three miles of Black, Brown, and low-income communities, which are already disproportionately exposed to toxic infrastructure and their resultant health impacts. Incinerators emit dangerous pollutants and particulate matter such as dioxins, PFAS, and heavy metals that poison local communities and ecosystems. Exposure to these contaminants can be lethal, causing cancer, heart attacks, asthma, and other serious health conditions. The toxic ash produced further harms nearby communities, exacerbating environmental injustices.
The environmental harm caused by incinerators is well-documented in Miami-Dade County’s own history. The infamous “Old Smokey” incinerator, which shut down in 1970, continues to impact Coconut Grove residents, who initiated a class action lawsuit for medical monitoring due to decades of exposure. The predominantly Latine community in Doral has spent years complaining about the Reworld (formerly Covanta) incinerator. In 2023, a massive fire at the incinerator burned for nearly three weeks, exposing them to toxic fumes and sparking further concerns about environmental justice issues and human rights violations.
“Just because the Mayor, or anyone else, calls an incinerator waste-to-energy, does not make it so. Burning trash is not a solution to the waste problem—it’s ongoing environmental racism that harms our communities, environment, and planet. These facilities produce negligible amounts of energy for maximum amounts of harm, plus they are exorbitantly expensive to build and operate,” said Jessica Roff, US/Canada Plastics & Petrochemicals Program Manager at GAIA. “Since the last incinerator burned down, Miami-Dade has the opportunity to begin again with new, safe, local, and sustainable waste management. They should be investing in zero waste systems with non-toxic reuse and refill at the core, not another dirty incinerator.”
Mayor Levine Cava’s memo claims the Opa-Locka Airport West site was selected to “provide the best possible balance between multiple factors including cost, project timelines, and impact to residents and natural resources.” However, GAIA and the coalition emphasize that incineration is the most expensive way to handle waste. The $1.6 billion facility—misleadingly branded as a “Sustainable Solid Waste Campus,”—would lock Miami-Dade into decades of pollution and financial waste.
“Incineration creates a financial incentive to produce more waste by treating it as a resource to be burned rather than reduced or reused,” said MacKenzie Marcelin, Climate Justice Director of Florida Rising. “The put-or-pay contract would require the county to deliver a set amount of waste to the incinerator, which contradicts the zero waste principle of minimizing waste. This system locks us into a cycle of continuously generating waste to justify the incinerator’s existence, much like a stadium that needs to be filled to justify its construction costs. Building an incinerator would bind us to decades of waste and harm to public health while we have effective zero waste solutions ready for implementation.”
“While we can all agree that something needs to be done to address our waste issue, incineration is not the answer,” said coalition member Mary Gutierrez, Earth and Atmospheric Scientist with Earth Ethics. “There are too many adverse variables associated with incineration, namely potential air and water quality impacts to natural resources and neighboring communities. Our best bet is to address our waste problems with a reduction of overall waste through existing proven methodologies that cause the least harm, if at all, to the environment and community.”
The proposed site at the former Opa-Locka Airport West location borders the Broward County line and the City of Miramar subdivision of Sunset Lakes.
“Choosing to recommend Airport West for this incinerator shows a reckless disregard for the well-being of our communities by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava,” stated City of Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam. “We are vehemently opposing the project and defending the right to clean air, safe neighborhoods, and a healthy environment. Miramar stands shoulder to shoulder with GAIA and Florida’s environmental champions, and we will not stop until we protect what is rightfully ours—the safety and future of our residents. We urge the MDC Commission to reject this misguided recommendation.”
GAIA and the coalition urge Miami-Dade’s Board of County Commissioners to reject this incinerator proposal and invest in real sustainable waste management solutions instead. Cities worldwide have proven that zero waste systems reduce environmental harm, save millions, create jobs, and strengthen local economies. Miami-Dade has a unique opportunity to lead in adopting zero waste solutions that prioritize health, equity, and sustainability over outdated, harmful waste management practices.
Press contacts:
María Guillén, Communications Coordinator, US/Canada, GAIA
mariaguillen@no-burn.org
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GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries. With our work we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.