§ 13:1E-23 — Adoption of solid waste management plan; procedure; review

a. Pursuant to the procedures herein contained, the respective boards of chosen freeholders, in the case of counties, and the Hackensack Commission, in the case of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, shall have the power, after consultation with the relevant advisory solid waste council, to adopt a solid waste management plan for the relevant solid waste management district; provided, however, that if in any solid waste management district the procedures contained in this section are not commenced within 361 days after the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act, unless the commissioner shall have extended the time for the development and formulation of a solid waste management plan pursuant to section 11 of this amendatory and supplementary act, and unless a certification of failure shall have been received by the commissioner pursuant to 12 b.(3) of this amendatory and supplementary act, the department shall have the power to develop, formulate and, pursuant to the procedures herein contained, adopt and promulgate a solid waste management plan for any such solid waste management district. b. Upon the development and formulation of a solid waste management plan, and after consultation with the relevant advisory solid waste council, the relevant board of chosen freeholders, in the case of counties, or the Hackensack Commission, in the case of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, shall prepare a map showing the boundaries of the solid waste management district and the location of all existing and proposed solid waste facilities. In the event such solid waste management plan proposes to locate solid waste facilities in another solid waste management district, a map of such other district, showing the location of the proposed facilities, shall be prepared. Said map shall be appended to a copy of the district's solid waste management plan, to which shall also be appended a copy of the report accompanying said plan. Said map, plan and report shall be sent by mail to the mayor of each municipality within the county, in the case of counties, and in the case of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, said map, plan and report shall be maintained at the main office of the Hackensack Commission. c. The board of chosen freeholders, or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, shall thereupon cause a hearing to be held at an appointed time and place for the purpose of hearing persons interested in, or who would be affected by, the adoption of the solid waste management plan for the relevant solid waste management district, and who are in favor of or are opposed to such adoption. d. A notice of such hearing shall be given setting forth the purpose thereof and stating that a map, plan and report have been prepared and can be inspected at the offices of every municipality within the county, or at the main office of the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be. A copy of such notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the solid waste management district once each week for two consecutive weeks, and the last publication shall be not less than 10 days prior to the date set for the hearing. A copy of the notice shall be mailed at least 10 days prior to the date set for the hearing to the last owner, if any, of each parcel of property within or without the district on which it is proposed to locate any solid waste facilities pursuant to the district's solid waste management plan. Such mailing shall be according to the assessment records of the municipality where such parcel is located and shall be sent to the last known postal address of such owners. A notice shall also be sent to any and all persons at his, or their, last known address, if any, whose names are noted on said assessment records as claimants of an interest in any such parcel. The assessor of such municipality shall make a notation upon the said records when requested so to do by any person claiming to have an interest in any parcel of property in such municipality. Failure to mail any such notice shall not invalidate the adoption of any solid waste management plan. e. At the hearing, which may be adjourned from time to time, the board of chosen freeholders, or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, shall hear all persons interested in the solid waste management plan and shall consider any, and all, written objections that may be filed and any evidence which may be introduced in support of the objections, or any opposition to the adoption of the solid waste management plan for the solid waste management district. After the hearing the board of chosen freeholders, or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, shall, by resolution, adopt or reject, in whole or in part, the solid waste management plan for the solid waste management district. The adoption of all or a part of a solid waste management plan, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be binding and conclusive upon all persons affected by the adoption. If all or any part of the solid waste management plan is adopted, the board of chosen freeholders, or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, within 10 days after such adoption, shall cause to be served a copy of the resolution of adoption upon each person who filed a written objection at or prior to the hearing; provided, the address of the objector was stated in, or upon, the written objection. Such service may be made (1) by delivering a copy of the resolution personally to the objector, (2) by mailing such copy addressed to the objector according to his said stated address, or (3) leaving such copy at said stated address for the objector with a person of suitable age and discretion. f. Any person who shall have filed such a written objection with the board of chosen freeholders, or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, may have the adoption of a solid waste management plan reviewed by the Superior Court of New Jersey by procedure in lieu of prerogative writs. An action for such review shall be commenced within 30 days after the adoption by the board of chosen freeholders, or by the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be. In any such action, the said court may make any incidental order that shall be deemed by the court to be proper. g. Upon the adoption of a solid waste management plan in its entirety, the board of chosen freeholders or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, shall forthwith submit such plan, and a copy of the transcript of every public hearing held thereon, and a complete record of the dates and results of all consultation with governmental agencies and the relevant advisory solid waste council, to the commissioner. Upon the adoption of a part or parts of a solid waste management plan, the board of chosen freeholders or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, shall certify the fact of such partial adoption to the commissioner, and such board of chosen freeholders or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, shall, notwithstanding any previous extension granted pursuant to any of the provisions of this amendatory and supplementary act, have an additional 45 days from the date of such certification to adopt a solid waste management plan in its entirety, which adoption shall be pursuant to all the procedures contained herein for the adoption of solid waste management plans. h. Every board of chosen freeholders and the Hackensack Commission shall adopt a solid waste management plan in its entirety and submit same to the commissioner, with a copy of the transcript of every public hearing held thereon, and a complete record of the dates and results of all consultation with governmental agencies and the relevant advisory solid waste council, within 450 days after the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act; provided, however, that if the commissioner shall have granted an extension of time for the development and formulation of such plan pursuant to section 11 of this amendatory and supplementary act, or an extension of time for the adoption of any such plan in its entirety pursuant to this section, or both, the time for adoption and submission to the commissioner as required herein shall be increased to a maximum of 495 days in the case of either such extension, or 540 days in the case of both such extensions; and, provided further, however, that if the commissioner shall have received a certification of failure pursuant to section 12 b. of this amendatory and supplementary act, the time for adoption and submission to the commissioner, notwithstanding any other increase authorized in this amendatory and supplementary act, shall be increased by the number of days taken by the commissioner from the date of such receipt to the completion of his study concerning such certification of failure. i. Upon the failure of any board of chosen freeholders or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be, to adopt a solid waste management plan in its entirety and to submit same to the commissioner, with a copy of the transcript of every public hearing held thereon, and a complete record of the dates and results of all consultation with governmental agencies and the relevant advisory solid waste council, within the time prescribed in subsection h. of this section, the department shall have the power to develop and formulate a solid waste management plan in its entirety for any such solid waste management district, either including therein or excluding therefrom any part or parts of such plan as may have been adopted by the board of chosen freeholders or the Hackensack Commission, as the case may be. Following the holding of a public hearing pursuant to the procedures contained herein, the department shall have the power to adopt and promulgate such solid waste management plan in its entirety for any such solid waste management district. Any solid waste management plan so adopted and promulgated by the department for any solid waste management district shall be subject to the same review by the Superior Court as solid waste management plans otherwise adopted pursuant to this section. L.1975, c. 326, s. 14.