Diaz-Balart Requests Immediate Information on How the Ongoing Fire at Waste-to-Energy Facility in Doral Will Affect Residents
WASHINGTON, D.C.– This morning, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26) sent a letter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting information on how the ongoing fire at the waste-to-energy facility in the City of Doral is affecting the air, water, and soil quality levels and if there are any precautions that residents need to take to ensure their safety.
Read the complete letter here or below.
"Dear Administrator Regan,
I write to express significant concerns regarding the health and wellbeing of my constituents following a massive fire erupting at a renewable energy facility in the city of Doral, Florida, located in my district. On February 12, 2023, at approximately 2:15 pm the brave men and women of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department responded to a fire of approximately the size of 2 football fields[1] at the heart of the city. This fire, located at NW 70th Street and NW 97th Avenue, has quickly spread, involving 4 buildings and which, according to Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Judallah is expected to be “a long-term fire, a multi operational period looking at several days”[2] before it can be contained.
The city of Doral, Florida is a vibrant community with approximately 76,000 people, 40 schools, several houses of worship, parks, and more. As parents take their children to schools, as residents commute to and from their workplaces, it is critical that the air each resident breathes is clean, safe, and hazard-free. As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works to send a crew down to my district to conduct several air quality and environmental reviews, I respectfully request the following:
Prompt and timely notification to all local officials on air, water, and soil quality levels.
Sharing of critical information, in real time, of any precautions that are advisable for residents, to include specifically any guidance on whether individuals in the area should take precautions, such as the use of hazmat materials for their safety.
Timely status updates from the EPA to local officials on the reviews being conducted in and around the area.
Transparent and immediate publishing of any reviews and advisories regarding this incident on the EPA’s website, which will be shared with all local officials so that residents and others affected may easily access this critical information.
I appreciate your consideration of my request, within all applicable rules and regulations, and look forward to your timely response on this critical matter.
Sincerely,"
[1] https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/crews-battle-massive-fire-at-energy-facility-in-miami-dade/2971949/
[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/huge-three-alarm-blaze-at-doral-recyclable-energy-plant-under-investigation/
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