The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is undertaking an island-wide dredging project of its state channels in the City of Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and West Wildwood. The City’s landfill and adjacent former Public Works Department are central to the channels being dredged. The City and the NJDOT have been collaborating to process and stage the dredge materials at both the landfill and the Public Works property.
Since much of the dredge material is expected to be used in the capping operation of the landfill, the arrangement between the City and NJDOT will save significant tax dollars to both parties. The City will save about $4-5 Million by using dredge instead of imported soils. The state will avoid substantial costs in transportation and disposal fees by hosting the dredging materials at the landfill in Wildwood.
Logistically, with the receipt of required permits, the City expects to begin landfill closure activities in early summer 2023 that will coincide with the NJDOT’s dredging operations in fall 2023. Both the closure and the dredging will continue concurrently through March 2024.
Simultaneously, the City is finalizing the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection pre-application checklist and moving forward with the permitting requirements to begin appropriate test pit drilling to investigate the presence of solid waste to enable a complete and comprehensive landfill closure plan.