New Jersey § 13:1e-43

§ 13:1e-43.

a. The Legislature hereby finds that the current practice of ocean disposal of sludge,

is, to a large degree, responsible for the degradation of the coastal waters of this

State and the serious environmental and economic problems related thereto; that such

degradation and problems will be aggravated by a continued reliance upon this practice

to the point of being virtually irreversible; that land disposal methods and new

technological processes now make it feasible to minimize the adverse effects of sludge

while deriving useful products therefrom; and that the health, safety and welfare

of the citizens of this State now require that such methods and processes replace

the practice of ocean disposal of sludge. b. The Legislature further finds that the efficient and reasonable management of solid

waste and sludge are inherently compatible; that the recycling of solid waste and

the processing of sludge into energy, fertilizers and other useful products are complementary;

that State programs which seek to provide for comprehensive approaches to the proper

disposal or utilization of solid waste or sludge must be regional in nature; and

that the interests of the citizens of this State would best be served through an integration

of sludge management with the regional solid waste planning and management process. c. The Legislature, therefore, declares that it is the policy of this State to supplement

the regional objectives of the “Solid Waste Management Act,” P.L.1970, c. 39 ( C. 13:1E-1 et seq. ), by requiring that the solid waste management districts established therein plan

and provide for the processing or land disposal of sludge in the manner and extent

hereinafter provided.