The Doral Incinerator Fire

The report analyzes the impact of a massive fire at the Doral incinerator, which burned from February 12 to March 2, 2023. It finds that air quality frequently reached unhealthy or hazardous levels for particulate matter (PM2.5) and exceeded action levels for chlorine, VOCs, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, contradicting early official claims. Water testing in onsite retention ponds showed exceedances of sanitary sewer and groundwater standards for copper, lead, zinc, sulfates, and boron. The document also details the emergency demolition of asbestos-containing structures and a history of five fires at the facility in recent years, using these findings to advocate for a transition to a Zero Waste system in Miami-Dade County.

• The fire at the Miami-Dade County Resources Recovery Facility burned for nearly three weeks, from February 12 to March 2, 2023, causing the collapse of the roof, walls, and garbage pit.
• Air monitoring data contradicted early official reports of no concern, showing 24-hour averages for particulate matter (PM2.5) that were 'unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy (in general), very unhealthy, or hazardous.'
• Several pollutants exceeded EPA action levels, including chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, meaning they reached concentrations no longer considered safe for human exposure.
• Water testing in onsite retention ponds revealed concentrations of copper, lead, and zinc that exceeded sanitary sewer standards, as well as sulfates and boron that exceeded groundwater standards.
• Emergency demolition of the facility involved asbestos-containing waste, including asbestos-lined siding and roofing; some asbestos-contaminated steel was improperly shipped for recycling without DEP approval.
• The Doral incinerator has a history of instability, with five fires in recent years, including events in June 2019, February and March 2021, and July 2022.
• The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sought civil penalties of $11,250 on February 24, 2023, due to the facility's failure to maintain fire inspection reports, an updated Emergency Preparedness Manual, and clear fire lanes.

APA

Burkhardt, D., Rimmer, E., & Sivaraman, B. (2023). The Doral Incinerator Fire. Earthjustice. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230531_doral-incinerator-fire-report3.pdf

Chicago

Burkhardt, Dominique, Emma Rimmer, and Bala Sivaraman. The Doral Incinerator Fire. Earthjustice, 2023. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230531_doral-incinerator-fire-report3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Burkhardt |first1=Dominique |last2=Rimmer |first2=Emma |last3=Sivaraman |first3=Bala |title=The Doral Incinerator Fire |publisher=Earthjustice |date=June 2023 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230531_doral-incinerator-fire-report3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{burkhardt2023doral, author = {Burkhardt, Dominique and Rimmer, Emma and Sivaraman, Bala}, title = {{The Doral Incinerator Fire}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230531_doral-incinerator-fire-report3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }