JACKSON — Township Council President Scott Martin said Mayor Mike Reina announced that an application to use the former Legler landfill site as a municipal compost facility has been withdrawn.
On Sept. 10, council members voted 5-0 to remove a resolution that would have allowed for a shared services agreement with Ocean County to construct a leaf and vegetable waste composting program site in the Legler section of Jackson.
The purpose of the program would have been to recycle and compost separated leaves and brush, which conserves landfill capacity, promotes efficient solid waste management and aids in the recovery of valuable resources, according to township officials.
During the Sept. 10meeting, residents expressed concern about odors they said would be generated by the facility, the effect on the value of their homes, traffic and noise from trucks bringing material to the site, the toxic effect of methane gas, and the effect on farm animals.
Reina said it will be difficult for the township to find an appropriate location for a compost site, one that is permissible according to the Pinelands Commission, and also by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
“We have several mandates Jackson must follow that a lot of other townships take for granted,” the mayor said.
At the present time, the municipality is operating a temporary compost facility on Jackson Mills Road.