AVALON – The borough is moving to set rules for vehicles carrying construction debris through the streets on their way to a disposal site, aiming to cut down on trash falling from the trucks.
An ordinance introduced March 12 is part of the town’s response to high levels of such debris, especially microplastics, that contaminate the environment and present a safety issue for residents and visitors.
The borough has already taken steps to better control plastic dust during construction and demolition activities. The March 12 ordinance is mandating secure coverings for the trucks, to prevent material from spilling and potentially harming other vehicles, people or the environment.
The new ordinance also sets regulations for the covering of dumpsters while they are at construction or demolition sites.
Business Administrator Scott Wahl said the borough’s investigation of the issue has been exhaustive, and what officials thought might be a safety problem for drivers will not be a difficulty. The borough had feared that drivers would face a safety threat climbing the backs of their vehicles to release the coverings at the landfill. For that reason an earlier version of the ordinance was tabled while more research was done.
At the March 12 meeting Wahl said, “What we thought would not work, will work.” The ordinance requires six points of secure contact for tarps, nets or other suitable covers.
The rules governing transport along Avalon roadways apply regardless of the point of origin of the debris.
Wahl said that Seven Mile Island is among the heaviest areas for construction and demolition in the county, and the repairs needed on the 96th Street bridge in Stone Harbor force all vehicles carrying debris to traverse Avalon in order to leave the island by Avalon Boulevard.
The ordinance carries penalties that include the potential loss of a permit to allow a dumpster to be placed on a borough street now or in the future, financial penalties of $250 for a first offense and $500 for each subsequent violation, and/or a prohibition on leasing dumpsters or delivering them to any job site within the borough. The administrative penalties do not prevent the filing of any charge in municipal court.
A public hearing and possible vote to adopt the ordinance is scheduled for the Avalon council meeting at 4 p.m. April 9 in the municipal building.
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
