New Jersey § 13:1e-136

§ 13:1e-136.

The Legislature finds that the proper disposal of solid waste and the maximum practical

recovery of any potential resource in solid waste, especially its conversion to useable

energy, are matters of basic concern to all citizens of this State, and insuring the

implementation of an efficient solid waste and resource recovery management strategy

is a governmental function thoroughly imbued with the public interest; that the State's

capacity to safely dispose of solid waste of sanitary landfills is rapidly diminishing;

that New Jersey must move away from its current reliance on landfilling as the principal

method of solid waste disposal to the application of waste reduction, recycling, and

energy recovery technologies; that decreasing the waste flow to landfills, whether

by means of predisposal methods such as source separation and recycling or through

high technology energy conversion is in the energy, environmental, and economic interests

of the State of New Jersey; and that these issues must be addressed as thoroughly

and expeditiously as possible. The Legislature further finds that the planning, construction or operation of resource

recovery facilities is characterized by high initial capital expenditures and initially

high disposal costs or tipping fees relative to landfilling, costs which may be stabilized

or decreased based upon a return on energy generated and materials recovered; that

these increased initial costs require long-term financial arrangements and a prior

Statewide commitment to waste reduction and recycling; that to attract private investment

capital for these waste-to-energy projects it is necessary to establish a favorable

regulatory climate, which will at the same time insure safe, adequate and proper solid

waste disposal service at just and reasonable rates; and that to encourage these

joint public-private sector cooperative ventures it is also necessary to attain the

most advantageous financial and programmatic scrutiny by the Legislature and agencies

of State government. The Legislature therefore declares that it is the public policy of the State of New

Jersey to provide a framework for the implementation of an efficient solid waste disposal

and resource recovery strategy which facilitates the orderly development of resource

recovery facilities while protecting the public health, safety, and welfare, all as

hereinafter provided.