Munisport Landfill covers 170 acres in North Miami, Florida, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It accepted construction debris and solid waste from 1974 to 1981 with no liners or leachate controls. Rainwater moved through the waste and carried contaminants into groundwater and nearby surface water. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in 1983. Studies in the late 1980s found the landfill did not threaten people living on or near it, but it did pose a significant risk to aquatic life in adjacent mangrove wetlands along Biscayne Bay.
EPA identified 37 contaminants of concern in groundwater and surface water. These include metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and chromium, along with organic chemicals like benzene, toluene, and chloroform. Aluminum, ammonia, copper, iron, silver, and zinc were also detected in surface water. Saltwater intrusion had already made the groundwater unusable, so contaminated groundwater was not a direct threat to drinking water supplies.
Cleanup happened in stages. Workers restored tidal flow to the wetland areas by 1995 and finished installing groundwater recovery wells by 1996. Increased tidal circulation stopped contaminants from spreading into nearby mangrove preserves. In 1997, EPA revised its cleanup plan and determined no further action was needed for site groundwater. Construction was completed on September 5, 1997. EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List on September 24, 1999. The City of North Miami and Miami-Dade County continue to oversee landfill closure and groundwater cleanup, with Miami-Dade County funding that work.
Human exposure is under control. All cleanup goals have been met and required land-use controls are in place. The site achieved ready-for-anticipated-reuse status on January 27, 2011. Starting in 2002, the 170-acre parcel began redevelopment as Biscayne Landing, a mixed-use community. Two 25-story condominium towers are complete, a school has been built on part of the site, and the area now includes residential, commercial, retail, hotel, and recreational uses.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection now serves as the lead agency for the site. EPA no longer provides updates to the site profile. Questions about the site should go to FDEP. During the cleanup process, EPA held public meetings, issued public notices, and conducted interviews to keep the community informed. Anyone seeking site documents can visit the Florida International University Library at Northeast 151st Street and Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami.
