The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has adopted a bond ordinance that will appropriate $7.55 million for improvements at the Monmouth County Reclamation Center, Tinton Falls.
The bond ordinance was adopted during the freeholders’ meeting on March 18 in Freehold Borough. Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone, Deputy Director Patrick Impreveduto, Freeholder Lillian Burry and Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger voted to adopt the ordinance. Freeholder Sue Kiley was absent.
The entire $7.55 million appropriation will be authorized in general obligation bonds to be repaid through the operation of the reclamation center. If the reclamation center cannot repay the bonds, the payment would fall to the county, according to the freeholders.
Arnone said county officials have increased tipping fees at the landfill to generate additional revenue from the operation.
The improvements at the reclamation center will include, but are not limited to, renovations to the materials recovery processing facility building; improvements to the leachate plant; the installation of wells; the installation of an odor control system; and the installation of environmental high density polyethylene caps, according to the ordinance.
The improvements at the county landfill were proposed by the freeholders in the wake of a situation that came to light at the beginning of 2019.
At that time, residents of Tinton Falls and other municipalities began reporting that a strong, uncontrolled odor was coming from the landfill and having a negative impact on their quality of life. Residents said the odor was persistent and could be detected in their homes.
Following initial reports of the situation, county officials acknowledged that a short-term construction project at the landfill had caused the significant and very noticeable change in the odors that sometimes emanate from the reclamation center.
The Monmouth County Reclamation Center, Asbury Avenue, Tinton Falls, accepts waste from the county’s 53 municipalities.
