Howell Residents Urged To Pack Meeting On 'Dump'

HOWELL, NJ — A group of Howell Township residents who oppose Monmouth County's plan to put a solid waste transfer station in the township are urging their neighbors to attend a meeting Thursday night on the proposal.

The Monmouth County Solid Waste Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25 at the Howell Township municipal building, 4567 Route 9. The meeting room is on the second floor of town hall.

"This could be the last opportunity to voice your concerns before SWAC and the Freeholders make a decision on this application," the group, called Stop the Dump, said on its Facebook page.

Howell Township Mayor Theresa Berger has been quoted by the group as opposing the transfer station because of the traffic it would bring to the township and because of other issues.

The county has proposed putting a solid waste transfer station at 34 Randolph Road in Howell. According to the proposal, it would accept construction debris and bulky cleanout debris "for sorting, removing recyclable material from, and transferring to an out of state disposal facility for final disposal."

It would accept 1,200 tons per day, according to the initial proposal.

But residents who oppose the proposal say the debris could contain items that would put drinking water at risk.

According to a report byShore News Network, the state Deparment of Environment Protection has said the debris would consist of waste generated during construction, renovation, and demolition projects across the Jersey Shore — waste that "often contains bulky, heavy materials, including concrete, wood, asphalt (from roads and roofing shingles), gypsum (the main component of drywall), metals, bricks, plastics, and plant materials from site clearing." Doors, windows and plumbing fixtures are possible.

Those materials can contain asbestos, lead-based paint, varnish, creosote and adhesives "leading to the need for potentially have hazardous waste to dispose of from the site,” the report said.

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