EnviroPolitics Blog

ACUA begins capping 16 acres of its landfill in Egg Harbor, NJ

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) will install a permanent cap over 16 acres of its landfill in Egg Harbor Township. Excavation for the project began on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

The cap will increase landfill gas collection efficiency, reduce leachate generation, improve stormwater quality, and minimize the potential for odors to migrate off-site.

“This project serves as a literal capstone to the significant investments we’ve made in our landfill gas collection and control system over the last two years,” said ACUA President Matthew DeNafo.

Since 2023, ACUA has invested nearly $2 million in its landfill gas collection and control system, which included the installation of 51 landfill gas collection wells, more than 14,000 linear ft. of gas collection header pipe, 12,000 linear ft. of compressed air line, and two dewatering sumps.

A permanent cap can be applied over areas of the landfill that are no longer accepting waste. The cap is made with geosynthetic plastic liner and covered with soil and grass once completed.

The permanent cap is being installed five years ahead of schedule due to the support of the Atlantic County Executive and Commissioners who approved $7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund appropriations in November 2024.

In addition to this work, the Authority is also reapplying eight acres of temporary cap that was removed in 2024 to place additional waste. The temporary cap will also enhance landfill gas collection efficiency.

Construction details will be shared on ACUA’s website at www.acua.com/landfillgas.

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Intense NJ Pinelands fire continues to spread; Evacuations ordered

The fire in the Pine Barrens led to the evacuation of 3,000 residents and the shutdown of a stretch of the Garden State Parkway.

By Ed Shanahan and Tracey Tully, The New York Times

A fast-moving wildfire in the Pine Barrens section of southern New Jersey spread to 3,200 acres of the heavily forested area by the evening, prompting the shutdown of a 17-mile stretch of one of the state’s busiest highways, the authorities said.

The smoky blaze, in Ocean County, threatened at least 1,320 structures, forced the evacuation of 3,000 residents of Ocean and Lacey Townships and caused the Garden State Parkway to be shut down between exits 63 and 80, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in a statement.

Embers from the fire, which began Tuesday morning, jumped over the parkway at about 6 p.m., sparking several small blazes near a defunct nuclear power plant known as Oyster Creek, according to state officials. The plant, owned by Holtec International, shut down in 2018 and is being decommissioned.

Patrick O’Brien, a Holtec spokesman, said the fires closest to the facility had been “completely and safely extinguished.”

Even if a blaze were to reach an area where spent nuclear material is stored in secure casks, it poses no risk, according to Mr. O’Brien and Shawn M. LaTourette, commissioner of the State Department of Environmental Protection.

All the buildings at the Oyster Creek site are “designed and constructed to withstand fires,” Mr. O’Brien said in a statement.

Read the full story here

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Immigrant kids going to court without lawyers

By Arya Sundaram, Gothamist

In shelters across New York, migrant children sit in front of computer and TV screens, appearing virtually in real court proceedings. They swivel in chairs, walk in circles and play with their hair — while immigration judges address them on the screens in front of them.

“The reason we’re here is because the government of the United States wants you to leave the United States,” Judge Ubaid ul-Haq, presiding from a courtroom on Varick Street, told a group of about a dozen children on a recent morning on Webex.

“It’s my job to figure out if you have to leave,” ul-Haq continued. “It’s also my job to figure out if you should stay.”

The parties included a 7-year-old boy, wearing a shirt emblazoned with a pizza cartoon, who spun a toy windmill while the judge spoke. There was an 8-year-old girl and her 4-year-old sister, in a tie-dye shirt, who squeezed a pink plushy toy and stuffed it into her sleeve. None of the children were accompanied by parents or attorneys, only shelter workers who helped them log on to the hearing.

Immigrant advocates and lawyers say an increasing number of migrant children are making immigration court appearances without the assistance of attorneys, which they say will lead to more children getting deported.

Read the full story here

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1,200 Acre Wildfire Shuts Garden State Parkway in South Jersey

By Cilia Levine, Daily Voice

The Barnegat blaze is burning deep in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, where NJ Forest Fire Service crews remain on scene reinforcing containment lines and backfiring ahead of the flames.

As of 5 p.m., the fire was 0% contained.

According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, both directions of the Garden State Parkway have been impacted:

Northbound lanes closed at Exit 63A (NJ 72 East) in Stafford Township
Southbound lanes closed south of Exit 80 (CR 530) in Beachwood

The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office added:

“Expect delays on the Garden State Parkway south of Toms River due to a brush fire in Barnegat Township! Thanks to all of our first responders keeping us all safe.”

Many residents expressed concern for Out of Sight Alpacas, an Alpaca farm located along Wells Mills Road.

The NJ Forest Fire Service said 16 structures are threatened along Bryant Road and Wells Mills Road (Rt. 532). All have been evacuated as a precaution.

Other road closures include:

Rt. 532 (Wells Mills Road) from Rt. 72 to the Parkway
Bryant Road from Rt. 532 to Rt. 539
Jones Road from Rt. 532 to Bryant Road

Deployed resources include:

Fire engines, bulldozers, and ground crews
A Forest Fire Service helicopter (300-gallon capacity)
An observation helicopter
An air tanker capable of dropping 600 gallons of water

1,200 Acre Wildfire Shuts Garden State Parkway in South Jersey Read More »

Legislation to help New Jersey residents manage utility costs signed

Bailey, Simmons, Miller bill creating “Energy Bill Watch” Program seeks to prevent sticker shock when residents receive their utility bills

(TRENTON) — Ahead of the anticipated rise in utility costs and after one of the hottest summers on record and a winter with below-freezing temperatures, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill into law today to ensure New Jersey residents are not caught off guard by unexpected and excessive utility bills.

Bill A4817, sponsored by Assembly members Dave Bailey Jr., Heather Simmons, and Cody Miller, will require electric and gas public utilities to establish an “Energy Bill Watch” program. The program would notify smart meter customers when their energy consumption exceeds certain thresholds, giving them the tools to manage their usage and avoid high costs.

“The sticker shock of large utility bills at the end of the month can be unaffordable for working families trying to manage household finances,” said Assemblyman Bailey (D-Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland). “The early notifications will give them the ability to adjust their usage and prevent surprise bills that break their budgets.”

“Public utility companies should be taking advantage of the technology and rapid communication methods we have available to keep every household informed,” said Assemblywoman Simmons (D-Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland). “This plan will provide the information that customers need in ways that are easy to use.”

“Everyone deserves to come home to a comfortable environment, whether it’s cooling off in the summer or warming up in the winter, without the worry of high energy costs,” said Assemblyman Miller (D-Atlantic, Camden, Gloucester). “By providing up-to-date information through simple notifications, we can help families better budget and plan for their energy use, ensuring that comfort doesn’t come at a financial cost.”

Legislation to help New Jersey residents manage utility costs signed Read More »

Bill signed into law to repair 17 NJ dams and inland water projects

Seventeen dams and inland waters projects will receive an increase in funding for repairs and restoration thanks to legislation sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco (R-25) and signed into law today by Governor Murphy.

“I’m glad that over $28M will be invested to fund projects in a number of municipalities in my District and around the State. These critical dam repairs will preserve and protect our local environment, which is critical to our quality of life,” said Bucco. “This funding will also protect the flow of clean drinking water to communities throughout the State, support recreational activities, and provide habitats for fish and wildlife.”

Bucco’s legislation, S-2594, appropriates $28,670,924 in 2003 and 1992 bond act monies for loans for dam restoration and repair projects and inland waters projects.

Under the bill, $5.2M dollars will be invested to fund projects in Morris and Passaic counties, including projects in West Milford and Jefferson Township:

High Crest Lake Dam: $1,250,000
Mount Glen Dam: $3,000,000
Upper & Lower Farm Crest Dams: $350,000
High Crest Lake: $500,000
Swannanoa Lake Dam: $100,000
Lake Winona Dam: $4,700,000

Overall, the funds from the 2003 bond act will provide loans to thirteen projects: High Crest Lake Dam; Mount Glen Dam; Lake Winona Dam; Cooper River Pkwy. Dam; Giffords Mill Dam; Upper & Lower Farm Crest; Lake Plymouth Dam; Braddock Mill Lake Dam; Fawn Lake Dam; Camp Karney Dam; Pine Mill Lake Dam; Holiday Pond Dam; and High Crest Lake.

The funds from the 1992 bond act will provide four loans for the following projects: Mountain Creek Lake Dam; Silver Lake Dam; Lake Garrison Dam; and Swannanoa Lake Dam.

If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full monthThe funds from the 1992 bond act will provide four loans for the following projects: Mountain Creek Lake Dam; Silver Lake Dam; Lake Garrison Dam; and Swannanoa Lake Dam.

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