A development company has proposed a 65-acre site for a new waste incinerator in Miami-Dade County as part of a land swap agreement.

For decades, the Doral incinerator burned half of Miami-Dade’s trash. But after a February 2023 fire, it was closed, and the county was under pressure to choose a new site for the incinerator.

“As we work to reduce waste and come up with alternatives, we are also looking at the possibility of redeveloping the waste-to-energy facility,” said County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Commissioners have already been presented with a study that looked at three possible sites: Doral, where the waste incinerator was located; a site near Medley; or Opa-Locka West, located south of Miramar, where city officials have expressed strong opposition.

Now there is a fourth proposition.

“We definitely take into account the environmental issues as well as the individuals, regardless of what county they live in,” Levine Cava said.

Developer Terra is offering the site on Okeechobee Road at Northwest 137th Avenue, nearly two miles from the nearest neighborhood in Miramar, in exchange for developing county-owned land along Northwest 58th Street between 87th and 97th Avenues.

“We have to find a location … and we have already found two locations that are far from residents,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez. “We have placed them away from residents so that the smell is not an issue.”

The mayor of Miramar says it’s more than just an inconvenience and that the location is simply not right.

“Both sites share the same ecological profile, which is why they will be met with opposition not only from the city of Miramar, but also from environmental organizations such as the Tropical Audubon Society and the Everglades Coalition,” said Mayor Wayne Messam.

He promises to present his arguments to the Miami-Dade Commission at its Sept. 17 meeting, when the matter will be on the agenda. Miramar also has a legal team exploring possible lawsuits by Miami-Dade County giants.