New Report Details Dangerous Conditions Doral Residents Endured During Covanta Waste Incinerator Fire

By CBS Miami Team

June 2, 2023

DORAL — A new report indicates that Doral residents have endured dangerous conditions during the three-week Covanta waste incinerator fire.

A new in-depth report by environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice and grassroots group Florida Rising detailed the air pollution and public health and safety hazards residents faced from the massive fire that burned at the Covanta Energy waster incinerator back in February. The report found "dangerous concentrations" of toxic pollutants and chemical contaminants at the facility and across Doral as the fire burned for almost three weeks.

After analyzing official air quality reports from monitoring stations across the city, 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 Feb. 14. Despite Miami-Dade County's official statements that there was no air quality or environmental safety concerns from the fire, exposure to Particulate Matter 2.5 is linked to numerous health conditions, including asthma, decreased lung and organ function, and irregular heartbeat, according to the report.

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