Elkhart approves consent order after Elkhart Environmental exceeded FOG limits

The Elkhart City Board of Works approved a consent order addressing repeated fats, oils and grease (FOG) exceedances by Elkhart Environmental Processing under its industrial wastewater discharge permit.

Steve Brown of Public Works Utilities told the board the highest recorded exceedance in 2025 reached 8,300 milligrams per liter compared with the city’s established local FOG limit of 200 milligrams per liter. Brown said the consent order, negotiated with the facility, requires updated best management practices, an engineering evaluation, expanded monitoring and allows for daily penalties if deadlines are missed; the consent-order implementation fee cited in the meeting was $2,500.

Tom Pereira, owner of Elkhart Environmental, addressed the board and said the company has a 22‑year history with only three FOG violations in that period and that staff negotiated the consent order cooperatively. Pereira said the company has already begun operational changes and more frequent monitoring intended to keep it on a compliance path.

The board approved the consent order by voice vote.

Quotes: "the highest recorded, exceedance of 8,300 milligrams per liter," said Steve Brown; the local limit is "200 milligrams per liter." Owner Tom Pereira said it was "a pleasure negotiating this consent order with your pretreatment staff."