Elkhart board finds company in mercury exceedance, assesses $500 penalty

The Board of Works voted to find the permit holder (identified in the hearing as Meinhardt/Gumbinehart; spelling unclear in the transcript) in violation of established local mercury limits for permit number 2025-03 and assessed a $500 penalty.

Engineering staff told the board they had reviewed the documentation and confirmed that the site’s sanitary and storm systems are separated, which supported the enforcement finding. When given the opportunity to respond, company representative David Pirtle said the operation was not discharging wastewater and that they retested the sample but did not know where the mercury originated. "We're not running that at all," Pirtle told the board, and said he was uncertain of the contamination source.

After brief discussion and confirmation of the technical review, the board voted to find the company in violation and impose the $500 penalty. Board members noted a concern for repeated violations but took a single enforcement step at this meeting. The board’s action included the formal finding and penalty assessment; the company reserved its position and may pursue additional testing or appeal procedures outside the meeting record.