Atlantic County Utilities Authority Is Opposed To Pleasantville Dump

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) is loudly “blowing the whistle” about a proposed dump that could be coming to Pleasantville, New Jersey in Atlantic County.

All Atlantic County residents should pay close attention.

First, a comment about President Rick Dovey and The Atlantic County Utilities Authority. Simply, put … they do an outstanding job in all areas of their direct responsibility … trash, recycling, alternative energy and more.

The fact that they are proactively launching a public education campaign about this proposed Pleasantville dump speaks volumes.

When Dovey and the ACUA speak, I listen carefully, because everything that they do … they do very well.

Here are the “Cliff Notes” about this dump … according to the ACUA research.

The plan calls for a transfer station that will accept up to 500 tons of debris a day.

Further, the ACUA has confirmed that the “City has lent support to this project without getting public input from the community!”

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Information and research compiled by the ACUA:

WHAT IS IT?

Bulk trash and construction and demolition debris (concrete, building pieces, furniture, carpets, insulation, and more) would come from haulers across the state to the proposed site on Devins Lane in Pleasantville, NJ. The trash would then be hauled away by train through numerous communities to an out-of-state landfill. The site is proposing to accept up to 500 tons of material each day.

MORE TRAFFIC

The project will bring heavy duty vehicles through Pleasantville neighborhoods, increasing traffic and impacting infrastructure.

MORE POLLUTION

Emissions from increased truck traffic, pollutants and dust from debris, and litter will have an impact on residents and the environment.

Here are some very important question that needs to be answered satisfactorily.

Does our Community Need This?

No! There is no need for this facility.

Atlantic County already has a designated safe disposal site for this material, which is currently the landfill in Egg Harbor Township. The Atlantic County Solid Waste Management Plan designated this regional facility in response to the environmental damage caused by numerous negligent dump sites in our state (such as the Price Landfill turned Superfund site in Pleasantville that is still being cleaned up today).

This new proposed site will generate profits for private companies at the expense of the Pleasantville community and all Atlantic County residents.

Another key question. Who is affected by this?

All Atlantic County Residents Will Be Impacted.

All Atlantic County residents will be impacted if this for-profit transfer station opens.

Currently, all Atlantic County communities benefit from a responsible and regional publicly owned solid waste utility, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA).

ACUA’s solid waste disposal rates reflect the real costs of managing waste, which have historically been the lowest in the state. Any revenue ACUA generates from other services it offers, like curbside collection, recycling, or product sales, gets reinvested into the utility and helps keep rates down for all Atlantic County Communities.

For-profit companies have no interest and no incentive to keep rates down for residents or reinvest in the community. If this facility is opened, trash tipping fees for all Atlantic County residents will increase.

Not Good Enough for Galloway, but Good Enough for Pleasantville?

The owners of the facility tried and failed to bring a trash rail transfer station to Galloway Township in 2020. After pushback from the community in Galloway regarding traffic, pollution, and other concerns, the company looked elsewhere.

Proven Track Record?

The transfer station would utilize the neighboring railway to dispose of the material. A similar trash-by-rail transfer station, which operated on the same tracks in Pleasantville, was closed approximately 12 years ago. The lack of concern for the community is still apparent today.

Environmental impact?

No More Pollution.

Pleasantville is already home to Price’s Pit, a former landfill-turned-Superfund site, that was once referred to as the “most serious environmental problem in the United States.” Because the landfill was not properly managed or regulated, industrial chemicals contaminated drinking water. Clean-up work on this site continues today.

Your Input Matters

Citizens around the state and the country are saying no to trash in their backyards, and you can too! Some recent examples:

• Recycling proposal defeated, Pittsgrove residents eye state law change
• Stop the Dump in Howell
• West Chicago Neighbors Fight Plan for New Waste Transfer Station
• Garbage hauler wants to use Port of Albany, South End residents worried
• Rep. Higgins calls for inspections for CSX trash trains

In case you’re wondering about my public position regarding a proposed dump in Pleasantville … based upon the the thorough, thoughtful and comprehensive research done by the Atlantic County Utilities Authority … I am opposed to this because of the environmental impact and other density realities.

Finally, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority already does a consistently great job and they’re a decades-long, proven, regional publicly owned solid waste utility.

There is simply no reason to reinvent the wheel.

Here is the link, again, providing you with direct contact information for key Pleasantville and Atlantic County public officials:

SOURCE: Atlantic County Municipal Utilities Authority.