Bill > ACR250

This Concurrent Resolution urges the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), which operates the Keegan Landfill in Kearny, and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the state agency responsible for environmental oversight, to immediately and permanently close the landfill and install a cap and gas collection system to stop the release of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is a gas with a strong rotten egg odor, often produced by decomposing waste in landfills, which has been causing significant odor problems and negatively impacting the health and quality of life of nearby residents, with many experiencing symptoms like headaches and nausea. Despite previous enforcement actions and the installation of mitigation systems by the NJSEA, the odors persist, and the landfill has repeatedly exceeded the DEP's regulatory limits for hydrogen sulfide emissions. The resolution also emphasizes the need for the NJSEA to accept the finality of a Superior Court ruling from September 2019 that mandated the landfill's permanent closure due to posing a "clear and immediate danger" to residents.