MIAMI.- Two Doral parks will be closed to the public and residents living near the Miami-Dade County waste treatment plant have been asked to stay home this Friday, after a report from the environmental protection showed that the air quality in the region was at “unhealthy” levels. earlier this week.
The concentration of smoke in the area increased on Friday and Doral City Hall announced that following recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Doral Glades Park and Doral Legacy Park will be closed immediately until further notice.
“All outdoor programs and events at all other parks will be rescheduled for a later date. All Doral Building Department inspections scheduled for today will be rescheduled for Tuesday, February 21,” the city warned.
Additionally, Miami-Dade County Public Schools said it will contact parents directly at schools in the affected area to provide termination procedures and other details.
According to the EPA report released Thursday, there were two distinct times on Wednesday when air quality reached “unhealthy” levels, once at 7 p.m. and the other between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. near the west side of the factory.
In a statement posted Friday on the County Debris Fires website, Miami-Dade officials urged all residents residing between Northwest 74th Street and Northwest 92nd Street, and between Northwest 92nd Avenue west and northwest 112th ave, to stay home all day.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has asked residents of Doral to avoid the area where Miami-Dade firefighters continue to work on the fire that started last weekend at the factory of residual energy of the county.
FEMA has asked residents living within two miles of the fire scene to stay indoors with windows and doors fully closed.
Data revealed by the station on the west fence of the plant revealed that the highest air pollution was recorded mainly between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Then between 2 o’clock in the afternoon and 7 o’clock in the evening. And in a last range between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Residents with respiratory problems are especially requested not to engage in outdoor activities. An alert that has also been carried out in recent hours by the competent authorities of Miami-Dade County and the town hall of the city of Doral.
During a press conference held this Thursday afternoon at the county emergency center, he gave an update on the situation at the recycling plant.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews continue to “work nonstop” to battle a massive blaze a day after a recycling plant burned down in Doral, the county mayor said Monday.
Miami Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava says, “They should avoid outdoor activities.”
Christie Fraga, Mayor of Doral: “Smoking conditions can change and the idea is not to stay out for long.”
Those living in the areas surrounding the blaze insist they are worried.
“It’s a high risk, there’s a lot of rubber there, the plastic is very difficult to put out.”
And while it’s not yet clear when the anxiety will end, firefighters said they were working tirelessly.
Erika Benítez, spokesperson for the Department. Miami Dade Fire Department:
“We don’t see the thick black smoke that we saw at the start and we are continuing this work at this time.”
During a consultation on the health risks that this situation could cause, Dr. Dadilia Garcés affirms that these are specifically linked to two organs of the body.
“It has the ability to reach the lungs and the heart through the bloodstream.”
The expert also provides recommendations for those who frequent the area.
They revealed the air pollution levels in the area and asked residents to avoid the area.
“The best way to avoid coming into contact with these particles is to avoid the place where they are emitted. If this is not possible, reduce the time you are near these particles. In case of persistent contamination, the best recommendation is that people use special masks to protect themselves.
It has already been five days since the fire at the Doral waste-to-energy plant. So far, the County Fire Department has reiterated that it is working tirelessly to end this situation in which the fire is still burning in two structures, while partially demolishing the ventilation and easy access space. .
Raied Jadallah, Miami-Dade Fire Department Chief, said about 100 members are still active and while work is progressing, they have not yet determined how long it will take to completely extinguish the fire. factory fire.
They said that along with them, other environmental protection agencies were monitoring air and water quality.
The teams of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, for its acronym in English) have since Tuesday installed air sampling and control stations along the perimeter of the site. Two EPA emergency crews and a contractor also went to the scene “to help determine what hazardous components may be present in smoke from the fire.”
The EPA, in a statement, said it “has established air monitoring stations consisting of toxic chemical and particulate monitors…has also established air sampling stations consisting of total volatile organic compounds (VOC), total semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) and metals”.
Max Heisser of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday they were continuing to monitor air quality in the area, which so far has not sounded the alarm from the relevant authorities. .
City of Doral officials said so far all air tests have been normal, while county officials said the Environmental Resources Management Division is preparing a quality sampling plan. water to assess water from fire suppression operations.
At the press conference, they said they will continue to monitor water and air quality in the area. And they clarified that there is a number where residents can ask questions and access any concerns. You should call the Natural Environment Agency at (305) 372-7955 or 311, or you can use the website miamidade.gov/wastefire.