Miami-Dade Seeks $750 Million Over Incineration Plant Fire

Miami-Dade County has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $750 million in damages against Reworld Dade LLC and its parent company, Reworld Holding Corp., following the destruction of the county's Resource Recovery Facility in a February 2023 fire.

The legal action alleges that Reworld, which received approximately $60 million annually to operate and maintain the incineration plant, failed to address documented fire safety deficiencies despite repeated warnings over multiple years. According to the complaint, the company neglected to properly maintain critical fire protection systems, including shut-off control valves and water pumps serving sprinkler systems, allowing a small fire to escalate and ultimately destroy much of the facility.

The 40-year-old plant, located on 160 acres in Doral, ranked among the nation's largest waste-to-energy facilities. It processed nearly 3,000 tons of waste daily and generated up to 77 megawatts of electric power, serving the county, Florida Power & Light, and several municipalities.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue issued six notices of violation for fire code infractions between October 2019 and September 2022. The county's bond engineer and other inspectors also provided repeated warnings. At the time of the fire, at least five fire protection systems in the garbage processing area were impaired and unable to suppress flames, according to county officials.

"The destruction of this facility has had enormous consequences for Miami-Dade," Mayor Daniella Levine Cava stated. "We are taking this action to recover the damages our county has suffered and protect our taxpayers." The county has requested a jury trial.

The facility had processed nearly half of Miami-Dade's municipal solid waste. Its loss forced the county to pursue alternative disposal methods at significant additional expense, including burying waste in county landfills and transporting other refuse by train to facilities in northern Florida.

Meanwhile, efforts to establish a replacement facility have stalled. A July report from Mayor Levine Cava estimated that a new plant would cost $3.158 billion. Negotiations with a consortium of two firms proposing to build and operate the facility broke down without a completed proposal or financial model.

The county's search for a suitable site has proven contentious. Despite initial agreements to exclude Doral from consideration if the city negotiated a fee, the location is back under review. Commissioners recently set new terms requiring Doral to negotiate and pay a figure within three months, or face reconsideration of unspecified sites within city limits. The fee would partially defray county costs and help fund relocation of the waste-to-energy operation.

The commission has yet to decide on the final location or funding mechanism for the replacement plant, leaving a critical gap in the county's waste management infrastructure.