EnCap BankruptcyMay Force Closing of Trash Baler

NORTH ARLINGTON – Borough residents are being asked to do their spring clean up a little early this year – and perhaps save them some money.
Residents are being urged by Mayor Peter Massa to rummage through their attics, basements and garages and start throwing out the large bulky items they have been keeping around. The objective said the mayor is to get rid of unwanted items such old furniture, air conditioners, stoves and old lumber now, while the borough still enjoys the benefits of free garbage disposal at the trash baler in the meadowlands.
Because of the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings between the failed developer EnCap and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, the NJMC baler may close at the start of the new year. EnCap was supposed to purchase the baler (which is located in North Arlington) but made only an $8 million partial payment to the NJMC before filing for bankruptcy.
While the baler is open the borough pays only for an outside vendor to collect the garbage and does not pay the NJMC for dumping garbage at the baler. If the baler closes, the borough residents will have to pay an over a half million dollars a year to get rid of its trash.
“We are fighting to keep the baler open,”Mayor Massa said. “But in case that is not possible, we want to lower our trash removal costs next year as much as possible by asking people to make an effort to get rid of large items now.”
“I know this is a busy season for a lot of people, but as they are rummaging through the basement for the holiday lights and displays and they come across items they intend to throw away, I encourage them to do it now,” added the mayor.
Council President Steve Tanelli said that many people wait until the spring to dispose of unwanted things such as air conditioners, stoves or refrigerators that no longer work.
If they do it now, it could save money down the road,” said Tanelli, who noted the borough is developing a new trash removal plan that could charge individual homeowners a modest fee to remove appliances.
“If we increase our garbage tonnage now, there is no cost to the borough as a whole or to the individual homeowner,” Tanelli said. “If the baler closes we have to prepare to increase revenue for trash disposal and we may have to institute a fee for residents to get rid of old refrigerators and stoves.

STATE HELP NEEDED

Massa has asked the borough’s state representatives to step in and help stop the baler from closing. In addition to getting free dumping service at the baler the borough also collects about $700,000 a year in host community benefit fees from the baler.

“My Christmas wish this year is that the state will step in and help keep the baler open and spare our community from more of the fallout from the EnCap debacle,” said Massa.

“Our residents and those in neighboring towns have suffered too much at the hands of the EnCap mess. We didn’t want it. The state did. And the state, I feel, has an obligation to spare our taxpayers any more pain from the EnCap project that was approved and financed by the state,” said Massa.