El incendio del incinerador de Doral

The report details a massive fire at the Doral waste incinerator that occurred from February 12 to March 2, 2023, causing significant air and water pollution. Despite initial official claims that air quality was not concerning, monitoring data showed levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and other toxins that were unhealthy or dangerous for residents. The document also highlights water contamination in on-site retention ponds, the presence of asbestos in demolished structures, and a history of previous fires and regulatory violations at the facility. It concludes by advocating for a transition to a 'Zero Waste' model to protect marginalized communities.

• The fire at the Miami-Dade County Resource Recovery Facility lasted nearly three weeks, from February 12 to March 2, 2023, and resulted in the collapse of the facility's roof, walls, and waste pit.
• Air monitoring data contradicted initial official reports, showing that PM2.5 levels frequently exceeded 'moderate' thresholds, reaching categories such as 'unhealthy', 'very unhealthy', or 'dangerous'.
• Concentrations of several toxic pollutants exceeded EPA action levels, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chlorine, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide.
• Water testing in on-site 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's waste pit and reception area involved materials containing asbestos, which were transported to the Medley Landfill.
• The Doral incinerator has a history of instability, with this event being one of five fires in recent years, and the facility had previously received a warning from the DEP for failing to maintain updated emergency preparedness manuals and fire safety reports.

APA

Burkhardt, D., Rimmer, E., & Sivaraman, B. (2023). El incendio del incinerador de Doral. Earthjustice. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/incendio-doral-reporte_spa.pdf

Chicago

Burkhardt, Dominique, Emma Rimmer, and Bala Sivaraman. El incendio del incinerador de Doral. Earthjustice, 2023. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/incendio-doral-reporte_spa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Burkhardt |first1=Dominique |last2=Rimmer |first2=Emma |last3=Sivaraman |first3=Bala |title=El incendio del incinerador de Doral |publisher=Earthjustice |date=June 2023 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/incendio-doral-reporte_spa.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{burkhardt2023incendio, author = {Burkhardt, Dominique and Rimmer, Emma and Sivaraman, Bala}, title = {{El incendio del incinerador de Doral}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/incendio-doral-reporte_spa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }