One of the NJSEA’s key mandates is to provide for solid waste disposal in the Hackensack Meadowlands District (District). Since the creation of NJSEA’s original predecessor organization (the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission) in 1969, the agency has worked to properly control, close, and remediate landfills throughout the District. At the time of the creation of the authority, the region contained nearly 1,900 acres of unregulated landfills. As a result of the authority’s responsibilities, proper, regulated, landfill disposal was performed under NJSEA supervision until 2019. Today, all NJSEA landfills are inactive and no longer accept waste. The landfills are maintained under permit conditions and are closely regulated. The solid waste group includes professional and field staff who monitor and maintain these formerly active landfill infrastructure to ensure compliance with all permit requirements.
NJSEA District Solid Waste Management Plan
New Jersey adopted the Solid Waste Management Act (SWMA) in 1970, establishing a regulatory framework for solid waste management and related environmental standards. In 1975, amendments to the SWMA assigned primary planning responsibilities—subject to state review and approval—to 22 solid waste management districts: the state’s 21 counties and the Meadowlands District, which is overseen by the NJSEA. The Act also directed these districts to maximize the use of resource recovery technologies and recycling while reducing reliance on landfill disposal. On July 31, 1980, the Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) approved the NJSEA District’s Solid Waste Management Plan.
NJSEA reviews applications for amendments to the Solid Waste Management Plan. These applications include requests to add new facilities and administrative actions involving changes to existing facilities. Proposed amendments and administrative actions are reviewed and certified by the NJDEP. Inclusion in the District Solid Waste Management Plan and subsequent NJDEP Certification are one of the requirements of the NJDEP prior to the issuance of a Solid Waste Facility permit.