Miami Dade’s solid waste puzzle gets 13 answers

As Miami-Dade grapples with handling half of its solid waste after fire razed its incinerator, commissioners dumped on the table 13 measures to clean up the garbage crisis.

“We have been exploring the same questions for the better part of two years and we are coming to a landing on the ultimate decision this board will make” about how to replace the Doral incinerator, said Danielle Cohen Higgins.

But, said Juan Carlos Bermudez, “this is still going to be a work in progress regardless.”

For that reason, Mr. Bermudez offered a resolution directing Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to evaluate landfill capacity, determine if the county should expand that capacity, assess the viability of expansion, and analyze the cost and savings from an expansion.

At the same time, he put on the agenda a resolution approving a waste-to-energy incinerator site anywhere but in areas he represents in Doral, Medley, or Northwest 58th Street. Meanwhile, Oliver Gilbert III authored a measure that would make such a choice without geographic restriction.

Kionne McGhee offered a resolution to approve a $15 million contract with Ardurra Group to consult on a new waste transfer station south of the existing South Dade Landfill.

Raquel Regalado crafted a package of eight resolutions and said she could write more to deal with pieces of the issue.

The eight would direct the mayor to recycle tires and mattresses countywide, develop recycling plans for the airport and seaport, report on legal options for extracting methane gas from the county’s landfills, work on cardboard recycling at all 13 county trash and recycling centers, evaluate land outside of the county near a rail line for a landfill or composting, explore multiple rail corridors to export garbage, let South Miami handle its own solid waste, remove restrictions on county solid waste bonds, and release more information on design of a new incinerator.