Read the full stored bill text
S3832
SENATE, No. 3832
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
���� Exempts community gardens composting on-site from
certain DEP permits under certain conditions.�
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning permits for certain community gardens and
supplementing
Title 13 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
����� 1.�
a.� Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, and except as
provided in subsection b. of this section, a community garden that operates an
on-site composting system shall not be required by the Department of
Environmental Protection to obtain a permit, approval, or other authorization
issued by the department pursuant to the "Solid Waste Management Act,"
P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.), the "New Jersey Statewide Mandatory
Source Separation and Recycling Act," P.L.1987, c.102 (C.13:1E-99.11 et
al.), the "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)," P.L.1954, c.212
(C.26:2C-1 et seq.), or the "Water Pollution Control Act," P.L.1977,
c.74 (C.58:10A-1 et seq.), or any rules or regulations adopted pursuant
thereto, for the operation of the on-site composting system provided that:
����� (1)
the property on which the composting system is located is exclusively used as a
community garden;
����� (2)
the composting system only uses vegetative waste generated by the community
garden; and
����� (3)
all compost generated from the composting system is used on-site exclusively
for the community garden.
����� b.�
A community garden that operates an on-site compositing system may be required
by the Department of Environmental Protection to obtain a permit, approval, or
other authorization issued pursuant to the "Water Pollution Control
Act," P.L.1977, c.74 (C.58:10A-1 et seq.), or any rules or regulations
adopted pursuant thereto, for the operation of the on-site composting system if
the on-site composting system is determined by the Department of Environmental
Protection to be a significant discharger of pollutants pursuant to section 6
of P.L.1977, c.74 (C.58:10A-6).
����� c.�
As used in this section
:
����� �Community
garden� means any publicly or privately owned piece of land maintained and
cultivated as a garden by members of the surrounding community.
����� �Compost�
means a biologically stable soil amendment that can be used to build soil
health and provide nutrients to plants.
����� �Composting�
means the managed, aerobic biological decomposition of organic materials by
microorganisms resulting in compost.
����� �Composting
system� means a system utilized for the composting of organic materials.
���� �Vegetative
waste� means waste materials that are produced from the raising of plants in a
community garden which includes crop residues, such as stalks, hulls, leaves,
as well as non-crop residues, such as leaves, grass clippings, tree parts,
shrubbery, and garden wastes.
���� 2.� This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill exempts community
gardens that operate an on-site composting system from any permits required by
the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under the "Solid Waste
Management Act," P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.), the "New Jersey
Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act," P.L.1987, c.102
(C.13:1E-99.11 et al.), the "Air Pollution Control Act (1954),"
P.L.1954, c.212 (C.26:2C-1 et seq.), or the "Water Pollution Control
Act," P.L.1977, c.74 (C.58:10A-1 et seq.), or any rules or regulations
adopted pursuant thereto, except if the on-site composting system is determined
by the DEP to be a significant discharger of pollutants.�
���� To be eligible for the
exemption provided by the bill: (1) the property may only be used as a
community garden; (2) the composting system may only use vegetative waste
generated by the community garden; and (3) all compost generated from the
composting system is required to be used on-site exclusively for the community
garden.� As defined in the bill, �community garden� means any publicly or
privately owned piece of land maintained and cultivated as a garden by members
of the surrounding community.