Miami-Dade targets 'burdensome' FOG regulations with biofuel pilot and policy review

Miami-Dade targets 'burdensome' FOG regulations with biofuel pilot and policy reviewCounty commissioners are pressing the administration for a pending report on easing Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) rules, citing severe financial impacts on the local restaurant industry.

Commissioner Bermudez urged the administration to expedite a report on making current FOG regulations less burdensome for businesses.

Proposed changes include updating a real estate transaction rider and launching a pilot program to convert collected FOG into biofuel.

The commission chairman agreed to co-prime the upcoming resolutions, signaling strong board support for the regulatory overhaul.

During the May 19, 2026, meeting of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, officials signaled an upcoming overhaul of the county's Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) regulations, which govern how commercial kitchens and restaurants manage wastewater discharges. Commissioner Bermudez pressed the county administration for a pending report on the current rules, describing the existing regulatory framework as "incredibly ridiculous" and overly costly for local food service establishments. "I keep on hearing incredible horror stories for restaurants in Dade County with this FOG resolution," Bermudez stated, emphasizing the need to make business operations easier and less expensive for the county's hospitality sector. To alleviate these financial pressures, the commission is advancing two key resolutions. The first aims to update the real estate transaction rider associated with FOG compliance, which currently costs buyers money during commercial property acquisitions. The second initiative proposes a pilot program to repurpose collected FOG waste as biofuel, introducing a resource recovery element to the county's wastewater pretreatment strategy. The push for regulatory relief has strong backing from board leadership. The chairman explicitly requested to co-prime the upcoming FOG resolutions, indicating that the measures will likely see swift advancement once the administration delivers its evaluation of the current rules.