add-onAdd-on item a)
Commission Meeting 12-02-14
Sponsored by: Mayor Stoddard
RESOLUTION NO. __________ 1
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A resolution of the Mayor and Commission of the City of 3
South Miami urging the Miami-Dade Board of County 4
Commissioners to maintain the current Wellfield Protection 5
Areas in the West and Northwest Wellfields, and implement 6
such recommendations as stated herein. 7
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WHEREAS, the majority of the potable water supply in Miami-Dade 9
County is from the Biscayne Aquifer, a porous shallow groundwater aquifer 10
vulnerable to infiltration by surface land uses; and 11
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WHEREAS, defined Wellfield Protection Areas serve to protect the water 13
supply from land use and other activities that put the water supply at risk from 14
contamination; and 15
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WHEREAS, mining activities must be regulated in accurately defined 17
Wellfield Protection Areas, as such activities enable rapid vertical mixing of 18
waters that can facilitate contamination of wellfields by hard-to-kill human 19
pathogens, including Cryptosporidium and Giardia; and 20
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WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County Division of Environmental and Resource 22
Management (DERM) has developed a proposed Wellfield Protection Ordinance, 23
which would significantly reduce the size of the West Wellfield protection area 24
and alter the contour lines for the Northwest Wellfield; and 25
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WHEREAS, the Northwest and West Wellfield supply a significant portion 27
of Miami-Dade County’s water supply from the Biscayne Aquifer and are critical 28
to the region’s water supply needs; and 29
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WHEREAS, the USGS report used to define the proposed Wellfield 31
Protection Areas for the West and Northwest Wellfields likely underestimates 32
horizontal transit speed through the Miami Formation limestone of the Biscayne 33
Aquifer; and 34
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WHEREAS, use of models to predict transmissivity and horizontal transit 36
speed through karst aquifers, such as the Biscayne Aquifer, depends on accurate 37
data and model calibration; and 38
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WHEREAS, only through collection of accurate data from tracer studies can 40
horizontal water transit times be identified to inform contours of protection areas 41
with adequate confidence that the water supply will be protected by the wellfield 42
protection areas defined contours; and 43
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WHEREAS, tracer tests have not been conducted in the West Wellfield 45
Protection Area and therefore data from the area do not exist to adequately inform 46
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modeling and contour design to safely reduce risk of contamination of the water 1
supply; and 2
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WHEREAS, the West Wellfield Protection Area currently protects up to 140 4
million gallons a day of potable water supply and the proposed Wellfield 5
Protection Ordinance would reduce the water supply protected in the West 6
Wellfield to 25 million gallons per day; 7
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WHEREAS, The permit for the West Wellfield and an agreement with 9
Everglades National Park, which cap current drawdowns from the West Wellfield, 10
can be changed and do not provide long-term assurance that additional pumping at 11
the West Wellfield, up to the wellfield’s true capacity of 140 million gallons per 12
day, will not occur in the future; and 13
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WHEREAS, wellfields in Miami-Dade County are vulnerable to 15
salt-water intrusion connected to sea level rise, and the West and Northwest 16
Wellfields are the most inland of these wellfields. Thus, they are the least 17
vulnerable to sea level rise and the most important to protect from 18
contamination as they may be the last source of fresh water in the future; 19
and 20
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WHEREAS, fresh groundwater from the Biscayne Aquifer, currently 22
unused, may be the best source of water to meet future demands; and 23
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WHEREAS, reverse osmosis production of potable water is an expensive, 25
high-energy technology, which may make it an unfavorable alternative for treating 26
water supply that may be contaminated by salt water intrusion in the foreseeable 27
future; and 28
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WHEREAS, if protections are reduced, contamination will likely be 30
irreversible especially as land use designations around the wellfield will change, 31
leaving water quality permanently compromised and vulnerable; and 32
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WHEREAS, the proposed Wellfield Protection Ordinance would allow dry 34
manufacturing, garment manufacturing and agricultural uses within the Wellfield 35
Protection Areas, each of which may pose a risk of wellfield contamination; and 36
quantity hazardous waste generators in the West Wellfield Protection Area, in the 37
portion which is outside the basic wellfield protection area; and 38
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WHEREAS secondary containment can fail, therefore generation of 40
hazardous waste within a wellfield protection area, even in small quantities, poses 41
a threat to the drinking water supply; and 42
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WHEREAS, the City of South Miami, after careful consideration of the 44
matter, deems it advisable and in the best interest of the general welfare of Miami-45
Dade County and all its residents to incorporate the recommendations stated 46
herein. 47
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNTY 2
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, THAT: 3
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Section 1.
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The City of South Miami hereby supports the adoption of 5
resolutions favoring the most conservative protections of the water supply and 6
endorses the recommendations proposed below. 7
Section 2.
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The City of South Miami urges the Board of County 9
Commissioners to maintain the existing Wellfield Protection Area maps until 10
further studies can be completed, including tracer studies in the West Wellfield and 11
any additional tracer studies needed in the Northwest Wellfield to accurately 12
determine rates of flow at different depths. The wellfield protection area for the 13
West Wellfield should be defined to protect 140 million gallons per day of water. 14
Both the West Wellfield and Northwest Wellfield protection areas contour lines 15
should be defined based on a 97% confidence interval that the designated contours 16
capture travel times. These estimates should be based on tracer studies. 17
Section 3.
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The City of South Miami urges the Board of County 19
Commissioners to remove the exception in the proposed ordinance, which would 20
allow small quantity generators of hazardous waste within the West Wellfield 21
protection area, outside the basic Wellfield Protection Area but within the Urban 22
Development Boundary. 23
Section 4.
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The City of South Miami urges the Board of County 25
Commissioners to include additional qualifying restriction of the land uses allowed 26
in the Wellfield Protection Areas including agricultural use, dry manufacturing and 27
garment manufacturing. Dry Manufacturing and garment manufacturing should be 28
limited to activities that do not involve the use of potential wellfield contaminants 29
or hazardous materials. The Agricultural use provided for in the proposed 30
ordinance should require best management practices for wellfield protection. 31
Section 5.
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If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is 33
for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, 34
the holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution. 35
Section 6.
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This resolution shall become effective immediately upon 37
adoption by vote of the City Commission. 38
PASSED AND ADOPTED this ____ day of _____________, 2014. 40
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ATTEST: APPROVED: 43
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_____________________ ______________________ 46
CITY CLERK MAYOR 47
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READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM, COMMISSION VOTE: 1
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND Mayor Stoddard: 2
EXECUTION THEREOF Vice Mayor Harris: 3
Commissioner Edmond: 4
_____________________________ Commissioner Liebman: 5
CITY ATTORNEY Commissioner Welsh: 6
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