Atlantic County approves memorandum to provide up to $7 million for ACUA landfill capping after extended public Q&A

The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a memorandum of understanding to appropriate up to $7,000,000 to the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) for permanent capping of a 16-acre portion of the county landfill.

ACUA representatives told the commissioners the cap will reduce rainwater infiltration that produces leachate, make the gas collection system more efficient and help prevent fugitive emissions. “That 16‑acre capping really does quite a few things,” an ACUA representative said, adding that recent bid pricing put the project near $7.2 million and that construction would likely begin by year’s end if approved. “It’s about a 6‑month to 9‑month process … the cap would be pretty much intact by the middle of summer,” the representative said.

The board’s discussion ran for more than an hour, with commissioners pressing ACUA officials on odor complaint history, the potential for increased odors during limited construction digging, and the long-term plan for disposal and capacity. ACUA gave comparative complaint counts — 34 odor complaints in October 2024 versus 104 in 2023 — and said it had completed more than $1 million in system improvements in advance of the cap. The authority said bids had already been opened and that its board would consider awarding the contract at its next meeting.

Commissioner Corsi expressed concern that the county could be “throwing good money at bad” if the capping does not materially reduce odors in the long term; other commissioners and residents said the work is legally required and that failing to use available ARPA (American Rescue Plan) funds would postpone the cap and likely require higher per‑ton fees down the road. “You’re either going to pay for it out of this money or you’re going to pay for it out of money that comes from raising fees,” one commissioner said, summarizing the tradeoff ACUA outlined.

Residents who spoke during public comment were generally supportive of moving forward. Kathleen Spath of Linwood, who said Linwood is among the municipalities that send trash to ACUA, urged the board to approve the funding and “let this process work its way through.”

County officials and ACUA representatives also described outreach efforts, including recent tours and an open house for municipal officials from nearby towns. ACUA said it maintains a hotline and an online form for odor complaints and that staff monitor and respond to reports, sometimes outside normal business hours.

The memorandum was moved and seconded during the meeting and, after roll call, the board approved it (motion carries). The ACUA representative said that if the county had not approved the funding, the permanent cap would have been delayed roughly five years and likely required increased escrow contributions and higher tip fees.

Next steps: ACUA expects its board to act on the contract award at its next meeting; county staff said they would continue to monitor odor complaints and receive updates from ACUA as the project moves into the procurement and construction phases.