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Bureau of Sanitation (BOS) / Fats, Oil, and Grease Control Program (FOG Program) / Food Service Establishments (FSEs) / Inappropriate Disposal of Waste Products

Council File 25-0380

Under review — the city adopted Rodriguez's motion to examine whether the FOG Program's 24-year-old $100,000 renovation threshold needs updating, and the Sanitation Bureau submitted its findings in July 2026. The Energy and Environment Committee is now reviewing that report to decide next steps.

Introduced
2025-04-09
Last changed
2026-07-10
Status
open
Expires
2027-06-09
Committee
Energy and Environment Committee
Mover
MONICA RODRIGUEZ
Second
BOB BLUMENFIELD
References
Related Council File: 98-1657-S1

Brief

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, seconded by Bob Blumenfield, introduced a motion on April 9, 2025 directing the Bureau of Sanitation to strengthen its Fats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) Program for food service establishments. The FOG Program regulates how restaurants, cafes, and other food operations dispose of cooking oils, grease, and fats to prevent these materials from clogging sewer lines and causing overflow incidents. The motion was referred to the Energy and Environment Committee, which approved it on May 20, 2025. The full Council adopted the motion 10-0 on June 4, 2025, with five members absent. In July 2026, the Bureau of Sanitation submitted a follow-up document dated July 7, 2026, which was then referred back to the Energy and Environment Committee, indicating ongoing implementation or reconsideration of the program directives. The file remains pending committee action as of the most recent activity in July 2026.

Full summary

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez introduced this motion in April 2025 to prompt a formal review of the Bureau of Sanitation's Fats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) Control Program, which requires roughly 10,000 food service establishments — restaurants, caterers, hotels, and large commercial kitchens — to manage how cooking oils and grease enter the city's sewer system. Improper disposal of these materials is a leading cause of sewer blockages and overflows citywide, which carry significant environmental and public health consequences. The central policy question the motion raises is whether the FOG Program's $100,000 remodel threshold still makes sense. Under the program established by ordinance in August 2001, any existing food service establishment undergoing a renovation costing less than $100,000 is exempt from the requirement to install a grease interceptor. That dollar figure has never been adjusted in the 24 years since it was set. Rodriguez's motion argues that inflation, rising construction costs, and increased operating burdens on food businesses mean the threshold may now be too low — potentially deterring restaurants from modest renovations to avoid triggering the interceptor requirement, and contributing to commercial vacancies on neighborhood corridors. The motion directs the Bureau of Sanitation to report within 45 days on the program's current status and the feasibility of adjusting the threshold. It also asks the Bureau to identify ways to improve public and industry outreach across social media and other platforms to encourage voluntary compliance. The motion cleared the Energy and Environment Committee on May 20, 2025, and the full Council adopted it 10-0 on June 4, 2025, with five members absent. In July 2026, the Bureau of Sanitation submitted its responsive report, dated July 7, 2026, which was referred back to the Energy and Environment Committee. The file remains pending committee review of that report as of the most recent activity in July 2026. This file is related to Council File 98-1657-S1, the original FOG Control Ordinance proceeding from the late 1990s.

Activity (8)

  • 2026-07-10 Bureau of Sanitation document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee.
  • 2026-07-09 Document submitted by Bureau of Sanitation, dated July 7, 2026.
  • 2025-06-06 Council action final.
  • 2025-06-04 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-05-30 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on June 4, 2025.
  • 2025-05-20 Energy and Environment Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2025-05-16 Energy and Environment Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 20, 2025.
  • 2025-04-09 Motion referred to Energy and Environment Committee.

Documents (8)

Council votes (1)

  • 2025-06-04 Vote — 10-0-5 · Regular

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