EMERGENCY GENERATORS INSTEAD OF EQCB

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

Ordinance amending Miami-Dade County Code sections 24-5, 24-18, and 24-43 to allow administrative approval of emergency generators for healthcare facilities and food stores within wellfield protection areas, subject to conditions, instead of requiring a public hearing before the Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB). The ordinance was adopted on first reading on 7/21/2026 and set for a public hearing before the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee on 9/9/2026. The scope is countywide. No specific project site, address, parcel, acreage, or applicant is stated. The ordinance is sponsored by Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez. The file number is 261214. The ordinance defines conditions including: property served by utility water and sanitary sewers; property located more than 30 days travel time from any utility potable water supply well; property not within the Northwest Wellfield protection area or West Wellfield Interim protection area; property within the Urban Development Boundary; fuels contained in an above-ground storage facility approved pursuant to section 24-15(5); secondary containment with double-walled tanks and piping; food stores fuel not exceeding 1,500 gallons per facility; healthcare facilities fuel volume not exceeding volume required to comply with emergency power supply system requirements; a groundwater monitoring plan approved by the Director for tanks exposed to the environment; and an operating permit obtained pursuant to section 24-18. The ordinance also revises the definition of health care facilities to include doctor's offices and free standing emergency facilities. The staff recommendation is approval. The fiscal impact is stated as no negative fiscal impact to the County anticipated. The background states that from 2020 to 2025, approximately eight variances were granted by the EQCB related to emergency generators for healthcare facilities within wellfield protection areas. No public comment or stakeholder sentiment is stated.