Miramar quarry blasting board stalls amid vacancies, missed meetings. Is it done?
A Miramar advisory board tasked with giving residents a voice on controversial nearby quarry blasting appears to be stalled, hampered by seat vacancies, missed meetings and limited community engagement.
The city’s Blasting Citizen Advisory Committee, formed to address concerns about rock mining activity in northwest Miami-Dade, has struggled in recent months to meet regularly or even reach a quorum, Miramar commissioners will be told Wednesday, March 18, according to a report from City Manager Roy Virgin.
Since January 2025, the board has held only one meeting and still has multiple vacancies, including its chair and several neighborhood representatives. The group canceled its February meeting and has not met in March.
While some members have maintained perfect attendance, others have stopped attending altogether, according to the quarterly update.
The lack of consistent participation has left the board largely inactive at a time when concerns about blasting impacts — including potential structural damage to homes — remain significant for some residents.
Through 2025, Miramar residents filed more than 12,600 complaints with the state.
The board’s primary role has been to share information, collect resident concerns, make recommendations to the City Commission and coordinate with Miami Lakes’ advisory group to take concerns to Tallahassee.
But its limited scope — combined with the fact that the blasting occurs outside city limits in Miami-Dade — has contributed to what the report described as frustration and, at times, apathy among Miramar residents.
“The major challenge … is that the blasting is occurring in Miami-Dade County, where Miramar residents have limited engagement,” the report to city commissioners states.
This comes as state lawmakers consider new measures tied to the issue. State Sen. Barbara Sharief, has backed legislation aimed at tightening mining oversight and improving recourse for homeowners in other impacted cities such as Pembroke Pines and Hialeah.
A 2003 state law requires property damage claims from blasting to go through an administrative process rather than the courts, limiting homeowners’ ability to sue mining companies directly. That framework has become a major source of frustration for homeowners and is now being challenged in court.
This year, Senate Bill 56, introduced by Sharief, who represents Miramar and Pembroke Pine, proposes limits on blasting intensity and timing, along with increased monitoring, reporting and notification requirements.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 416, introduced by State Sen. Bryan Avila, who represents parts of Miami Lakes and Hialeah, seeks to create a clearer compensation process for property damage claims.
The board’s own report underscores the central challenge it faces: Until it can fill vacancies and consistently meet, its ability to influence policy or organize residents will remain minimal.
It is unclear what action, if any, the City Commission will take on Wednesday, including disbanning the board.
Residents can file blasting-related complaints directly with the State Fire Marshal’s Office at mineactivityclearinghouse.myfloridacfo.gov.
This story was originally published March 17, 2026 at 11:26 AM.
