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Mountainside adopts ordinance regulating privately owned salt storage to protect stormwater
Summary
Ordinance 1331‑2024, adopted Aug. 20, 2024, adds Article 1418 to the municipal code to require covered or permanent structures (or specified coverings) for privately stored salt and de‑icing materials, set setbacks from surface water and storm drains, require weekly inspections for certain storage, and establish enforcement and penalties to prevent stormwater contamination.
The Borough of Mountainside adopted Ordinance 1331‑2024 on Aug. 20, 2024, creating Article 1418 of the borough code to regulate privately‑owned storage of salt and other solid de‑icing materials.
The ordinance’s stated purpose is to prevent stored salt and other solid de‑icing materials from being exposed to stormwater. It establishes definitions (de‑icing materials, impervious surface, storm drain inlet, permanent structure), seasonal limits for temporary outdoor storage (allowed Oct. 15–Apr. 15), and prescriptive requirements for outdoor piles. Those requirements include placing loose materials on a flat, impervious surface, maintaining a cone‑shaped pile, covering piles with a waterproof, impermeable and secure flexible cover that extends to the base, and locating piles at least 50 feet from surface water bodies and storm drain inlets. Containers must be sealed when not in use, and sites must be free of de‑icing materials between Apr. 16 and Oct. 14 unless stored in a qualifying permanent structure.
The ordinance allows exemptions for residents who store de‑icing materials in solid‑walled, closed containers that prevent precipitation entry and leaking; in such cases, weekly inspections are not required but repairs must occur within two weeks. It also clarifies that containerized bags or buckets stored within permanent structures are not subject to the storage and inspection requirements and that the ordinance does not apply where de‑icing storage discharges are already regulated under another NJPDES permit.
Enforcement is assigned to the Zoning Officer, the Police Department and the Borough Engineer. Violators are given 72 hours to complete corrective action; each day of ongoing violation constitutes a separate offense punishable as provided in the borough code.
The ordinance was adopted on second and final reading after a public hearing at which no members of the public spoke. Roll call recorded five ayes (Dierkes, Matejek, Pacifico, Rinaldo, Wass) and one abstention (Van Deusen). Borough staff will publish the ordinance and update the municipal code and enforcement procedures as needed.
