JACKSON— The end to a yearlong discussion among township, county and state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials regarding a permit for a municipal compost site on Jackson Mills Road came down to the wire and ended with a Nov. 1 announcement that a permit extension has been granted.
The six-month extension will grant Jackson the ability to continue using the location for municipal and public composting.
“I am pleased to announce that the DEP, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Michael Reina in conjunction with the county, granted us the extension,” Township Administrator Jose Torres said. “It has been almost a year since the initial request was made. The mayor and the county have been working to resolve this [issue] since then.”
With the extension granted, officials said they are continuing to look into the matter. They said steps are being taken to keep the compost facility on Jackson Mills Road.
Torres said the township is in the process of submitting a plan for the purpose of keeping the compost site where it is.
News of the permit extension came days after the township’s announcement that leaf pickup and bulk waste pickup by the Department of Public Works will receive an overhaul starting Nov. 11.
Leaves will be picked up by the DPW only once per household starting Nov. 14. After that one pickup, residents will be responsible for bringing leaves to the municipal compost facility.
Bulk waste pickup has been suspended entirely, leaving residents to bring their bulk items to the facility.
Operating hours for the facility have been changed to accommodate an expected increase in the number of drop-offs. The Jackson Mills Road location will now be open Friday through Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
— Andrew Martins