EMERGENCY GENERATORS INSTEAD OF EQCB

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-07-21 · ordinance

Miami-Dade County Legislative Item File Number 261214 is an ordinance amending Sections 24-5, 24-18, and 24-43 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, to authorize administrative approval of emergency generators for healthcare facilities and food stores within a wellfield protection area, subject to certain conditions. The ordinance was introduced on 6/30/2026, adopted on first reading by the Board of County Commissioners on 7/21/2026, and forwarded to the Board with a favorable recommendation following a public hearing by the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee on 9/9/2026. The agenda date for the second reading is 10/6/2026. The prime sponsor is Juan Carlos Bermudez. The ordinance is countywide in scope. It allows administrative approval for the placement of emergency generators for specific healthcare facilities and food stores within wellfield protection areas, in lieu of public hearings before the Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB). The ordinance adds criteria for fuels required for emergency generators for health care facilities or food stores, including that the property is served by utility water and sanitary sewers, is more than 30 days travel time from any utility potable water supply well, is not within the Northwest Wellfield protection area or West Wellfield Interim protection area, is within the Urban Development Boundary, and that fuels are contained in an approved above-ground storage facility with secondary containment. For food stores, fuels shall not exceed 1,500 gallons per facility. A groundwater monitoring plan approved by the Director is required for any storage tank where secondary containment is exposed to the environment and will accumulate stormwater. An operating permit is required. The staff recommendation is to approve the ordinance. The fiscal impact states no negative fiscal impact to the County is anticipated. The ordinance is expected to benefit property owners and applicants by reducing development costs associated with administrative versus public hearing processes. A review of EQCB cases from 2020 to 2025 indicated approximately eight variances were granted related to the placement of emergency generators for healthcare facilities within wellfield protection areas. The ordinance will become effective ten days after the date of enactment unless vetoed by the Mayor.