Cole Rosengren reports
for Waste Dive
New Jersey State Sen. Bob Smith now recognizes his efforts to
pass a commercial organics diversion mandate, S1206, have essentially stalled. “I’m going to have to go at
it another way with them,” Smith told Waste Dive, referring to a group of
counties who operate landfills and have opposed the bill. “They really
should be out of the food waste business.”
pass a commercial organics diversion mandate, S1206, have essentially stalled. “I’m going to have to go at
it another way with them,” Smith told Waste Dive, referring to a group of
counties who operate landfills and have opposed the bill. “They really
should be out of the food waste business.”
Smith expects to do this through two new amendments. One will
tighten methane emissions regulations for landfills, with penalties for failure
to meet those standards. The second will open up new funding opportunities
for anaerobic digestion or other systems via the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (EIT). “I’d like to see the EIT not finance
methane recovery in a landfill. That should be stopped because it’s the wrong
way to go,” said Smith.
tighten methane emissions regulations for landfills, with penalties for failure
to meet those standards. The second will open up new funding opportunities
for anaerobic digestion or other systems via the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (EIT). “I’d like to see the EIT not finance
methane recovery in a landfill. That should be stopped because it’s the wrong
way to go,” said Smith.
S1206 is currently in the Senate’s budget and
appropriations committee, following a February vote out of the environment
committee. Smith expects it will stay there for the foreseeable future given
the upcoming holiday season. He now expects to have a new version ready by the
spring of 2019
appropriations committee, following a February vote out of the environment
committee. Smith expects it will stay there for the foreseeable future given
the upcoming holiday season. He now expects to have a new version ready by the
spring of 2019
Smith first introduced a version of this
bill back in 2015. Its
successor, S771, moved further
along and prompted a range of comments from
counties and industry representatives. That bill received the endorsement of
the National Waste & Recycling Association’s local chapter. Though because
New Jersey’s disposal network is largely owned by counties, the majority of which have some
form of flow control, many are still opposed to the concept.
bill back in 2015. Its
successor, S771, moved further
along and prompted a range of comments from
counties and industry representatives. That bill received the endorsement of
the National Waste & Recycling Association’s local chapter. Though because
New Jersey’s disposal network is largely owned by counties, the majority of which have some
form of flow control, many are still opposed to the concept.
This has remained the case even with key
amendments, such as reducing the coverage radius for generators near a facility
from 35 miles to 25 miles and making landfills with gas capture systems
eligible sites. That latter point had the additional effect of bringing Covanta
into the mix, as waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities would essentially be some of
the only non-compliant sites left. The New Jersey-based company signed on to a letter with
two organics processors that called for an end to the landfill gas exemption.
amendments, such as reducing the coverage radius for generators near a facility
from 35 miles to 25 miles and making landfills with gas capture systems
eligible sites. That latter point had the additional effect of bringing Covanta
into the mix, as waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities would essentially be some of
the only non-compliant sites left. The New Jersey-based company signed on to a letter with
two organics processors that called for an end to the landfill gas exemption.
Because
language is still being drafted, Smith was unclear on whether landfills with
gas capture systems would be taken back off the list of compliant sites, or
whether there might be a phase-out period as other sources have indicated is a
possibility. He did note there could be leeway for existing relationships
between counties and generators, with some type of “grandfather”
provision.
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