Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
ACUA tells Egg Harbor Township residents tip fee will rise slightly; authority outlines capacity, odor fixes and RNG project
Summary
Atlantic County Utilities Authority officials told Egg Harbor Township the municipal tip fee will increase roughly 2.75% (about $79 to $81), outlined landfill capacity-extension plans that could add eight years to current permits, detailed odor-control infrastructure and said an RNG project due in 2025 should bring new revenue.
Atlantic County Utilities Authority officials gave Egg Harbor Township an update on county solid-waste operations, saying a modest tip-fee rise and several infrastructure projects should help secure disposal capacity while stabilizing taxpayer rates.
"Our tip fee is going up 2 and 3 quarters percent — so it's going from about $79 to about $81," said Matt Donoffo during his presentation to the Egg Harbor Township Committee. Donoffo said that even with the increase the county’s municipal rate remains among the lowest in New Jersey.
The authority presented details that matter to township finances and long-term planning: Egg Harbor Township’s projected municipal tonnage is roughly 17,000 tons on a five‑year average, which the authority estimated would produce about a $30,000 net increase under the new rate assumptions. Donoffo said the authority has pursued multiple measures to keep rates competitive, including internal efficiency and new revenue projects.
Donoffo reviewed changes to recycling markets since China restricted imported recyclables and described how New Jersey now sends material to a broader set of international and domestic buyers. He said Egg Harbor Township’s reported recycling rate is about 20.48% and that residential tonnage peaked during the COVID years before leveling off.
On capacity, Donoffo said a consultant’s stability analyses and site optimization options could add about eight years of landfill life on top of the five years currently permitted — potentially yielding about 13 years of capacity if the public permitting process succeeds. He said the authority will proceed publicly with permitting.
Donoffo outlined odor-control investments made over the last year: "32 wells, 12,000 linear feet of header pipe with another 12,000 feet of airlines went in," he said, and described a hydrogen-sulfide cleanup system and enclosed flare used to process landfill gas. He noted federal and state expectations that landfill‑gas collection cannot reach 100% efficiency; even well‑operated systems typically leave 15–20% of gas that can cause intermittent odors.
The authority also cited a $7 million allocation from county ARPA funds to advance a 16‑acre cap, which officials say will complement odor-mitigation infrastructure and reduce the need for future rate increases. Donoffo said the authority started construction on a renewable natural gas (RNG) project in October and expects it to come online in mid‑2025; the authority’s estimate was roughly $2 million in new revenue and about $500,000 in reduced expenses from the project.
Committee members asked about the source of the township’s recycling rate and whether that figure counts compost and vegetative waste. Authority staff confirmed that vegetative/composted material is treated separately in some towns and that comp-states should be added when comparing municipalities.
The authority said it is reviewing long‑running collection contracts (some dated to 1999) to ensure contract terms keep pace with substantial household growth in several municipalities.
Next steps: authority staff said they will follow up with details on town‑specific numbers and that any capacity or permit changes would be subject to a public permitting process.
