Smell Stopper? ACUA Putting $7M Lid on Stinky Landfill

Talk to anyone in Abseon, parts of Galloway Township, or EHT about the smell from the Atlantic County landfill and you will get a nasty response.

They will tell you it's not as bad as the lingering odor from the landfill.

After years of complaining about the stench, the ACUA says they have a permanent solution.

Putting a cap on the sticky landfill.

ACUA Plans to Cap 16 Acres of Landfill

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority will begin work in February on capping 16 acres of its landfill in Egg Harbor Township to decrease the stench that has made life miserable for neighbors and forced them to keep windows closed to avoid the odor.

The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners recently approved a $7 million appropriation from the federal American Rescue Plan to fund the project.

ACUA President Matthew DeNafo says the cap is one of several ways they plan to address the landfill's smell.

“The funding allows us to complete this project five years ahead of schedule and continue to offer the lowest tip fee in the state.”

The ACUA recently installed 32 gas collection wells, 12,400 linear feet of pipeline, 12,000 linear feet of airline, and two dewatering sumps that are all intended to help improve gas collection efficiency.

Neighbors Have Sued Over the Landfill Odor

In May 2024, homeowners at the Bel Aire Lakes over 55 development in Absecon, sued the ACUA saying they were violating federal and state environmental laws in its operation of a landfill on Delilah Road.

The homeowners also sought an injunction to stop operations at the landfill.

At the time, one resident told 6ABC he vomited after walking his dog or brushing his teeth.

Another man living in the complex said the smell had caused him to have a mild stroke and a woman told Action News her doctor said the headaches she was having were due to breathing in toxic gases.

How to Follow the Progress of the Landfill Cap

“We’re confident that continual investment in these proven gas collection solutions will minimize the potential for odors to migrate off-site,” said the ACUA's DeNafo.