Florida W-t-E plant burns for nearly 3 weeks. Report shows plant has had four fires in last four years.
Despite the efforts of 100 firefighters, the Doral W-t-E plant fire took nearly three weeks to extinguish. This incident, along with the closure of schools and local evacuations due to air quality concerns, is not an isolated event. Incident reports show this was not an isolated event; the plant has had four fires in the last four years. Any such blaze renders air pollution control technology useless and exposes residents to dangerous levels of toxic material, including dioxins. The potential harm to the community is grave and cannot be ignored. If the proposed Project Kea incinerator were to have a serious fire, it would house more than 50,000 tonnes of combustible toxic waste, 100,000 litres of diesel, and vast amounts of several hazardous substances used in the waste processing. New report details dangerous conditions Doral, FL residents endured during three-week Covanta waste incinerator fire The report’s findings underscore the dangers that waste incineration facilities pose to Florida communities. The report found dangerous concentrations of toxic pollutants and chemical contaminants at the facility and across the city as the fire burned for almost three weeks. Analyzing official air quality reports from monitoring stations across Doral, the report found concentrations of Particulate Matter 2.5, a toxic air pollutant, at levels deemed “unhealthy” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as early as February 14th, despite the Miami-Dade County’s early official statements that there were no air quality or environmental safety concerns from the fire. Exposure to Particulate Matter 2.5 is linked to various health conditions, including asthma, decreased lung and organ function, and irregular heartbeat. The report found concentrations of volatile organic compounds, chlorine, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide in the air at levels that the EPA deems immediately unsafe for human exposure, highlighting the urgent need for action. Read full report
