Landfill expansion at odds with wetlands restoration project

Author: The Associated Press
Published:
Ariel photo of Florida Everglades National Park via WINK News
Ariel photo of Florida Everglades National Park via WINK News

MIAMI (AP) – A Miami-Dade County landfill wants to expand its territory to nearby wetlands before space maxes out.

The Miami Herald reports the landfill on south Biscayne Bay is expected to fill up by 2029. Waste Management Inc. spokeswoman Dawn McCormick says the company wants to expand its dump to keep the landfill open by 2050.

However, the county’s Division of Environmental Resources Management has recommended rejecting the expansion, saying the land is meant for a $164 million restoration project to help fix the Everglades.

McCormick says Waste Management Inc. believed it was not encroaching on any Everglades work. She says they need to work with Division of Environmental Resources Management to clarify their understanding of the boundaries.

The landfill first opened in 1993 to handle construction debris from Hurricane Andrew.

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