Broward commission approves Monarch Hill Landfill expansion amid opposition

Broward County commissioners have authorized waste management’s plan to extend the Monarch Hill Landfill by 24 acres and add around 10 storeys in height, despite considerable resistance from some authorities and residents During Tuesday’s meeting, the decision, which was approved by a vote of 5-3, generated intense discussion. As tensions increased in the chamber, Broward County Commissioner Steve Geller remarked, “Mr. Mayor, if you’re not going to ask for order, I will.” Voting against the expansion, Commissioner and Vice Mayor Mark Bogen contended that other options should still be investigated because locals had historically opposed the landfill’s development.

“I speak for a community that is against this,” he stated. “They have been against this for ten years, and each time they are told that this is the last time, waste management keeps coming up again, and eventually, it must stop.” The Monarch Hill Landfill is already getting close to full, according to officials, but Broward County’s Solid trash Authority is still developing a long-term trash management plan. Representatives of waste management backed the extension, arguing that it is a workable solution. According to Waste Management spokesperson Dawn McCormick, “it makes sense from a regional perspective to utilize a facility that has been there since 1965 and make sure it maximizes its space.”

Legal action has been threatened as a result of the permission. Leaders of Coconut Creek have officially informed commissioners that they want to appeal the ruling in court. According to Coconut Creek Commissioner Joshua Rydell, “the Broward County Commission isn’t protecting the residents in northwest Broward today.” “Thank God, this matter will be formally resolved in this nation’s judicial system.”