Landfill Mined--A First for New Jersey

Hillsdale (NJ) officials say they likely will not extend the mining of their closed landfill beyond the experimental area now being worked. Instead, they say that, once they have served their commitment to the state, they will use more standard methods for reclaiming the 10-acre fill.

Hillsdale accepted a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the mining operation--the first such effort in the state. The trial arguably benefited both parties. The grant money gave Hillsdale officials the incentive to start closing the landfill and convert the mined area to a sports platform. The DEP is mining data from the mining project.

Workers began mining 200 cubic yards of trash from the landfill in December. According to Hillsdale officials, they found a small percentage of metals, a lot of timber, and a few car parts--but "nothing unexpected." The solid waste was separated from recyclable materials and trucked away. Bulldozers then graded the soil on top of the mined area to serve as a base for a soccer field. Officials said they did not think that borough would realize much of an income for the mined recyclables because of the limited market for material of such origin.

Borough officials also said that they had yet to devise a closing plan for the entire landfill because it lacked the money to do the closing. Reportedly, for cost considerations, the borough favors capping the rest of the landfill--once it has the money.