Directs DEP to establish scrap tire hauler license and scrap tire storage, collection, and disposal site permit.
S2360 would create a new regulatory framework for the collection, storage, transport, and disposal of scrap tires in New Jersey. It directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a scrap tire hauler licensing program and a separate permit program for scrap tire storage, collection, and disposal sites. Beginning 180 days after enactment, no person could engage in scrap tire collection without a DEP license, and the DEP would be required to set application requirements, fees, license terms, and grounds for denial or renewal refusal.
The bill also requires the DEP to create a scrap tire management system to track tires from the point of generation to final destination, including manifesting and an electronic or digital tracking component for real-time shipment monitoring. Licensed haulers would have to transport tires only to approved facilities, maintain manifests, and carry at least $150,000 in financial assurance, subject to DEP review and possible adjustment. Storage, collection, and disposal sites would need permits, closure financial assurance, and compliance with DEP standards, with limited exemptions for certain small-volume businesses and for some existing permitted sites.
The bill would supplement Title 13 of the Revised Statutes by adding new DEP licensing, permitting, tracking, and enforcement requirements for the scrap tire industry. It would affect tire haulers, tire retreaders, auto-related businesses, retail tire sellers, and operators of tire storage, collection, and disposal sites by imposing new compliance obligations, financial assurance requirements, and restrictions on where tires may be transported or stored. The bill also authorizes substantial civil administrative and judicial penalties for violations, including daily penalties and license or permit suspension or revocation, while preserving exemptions for certain small-scale or preexisting operations.
The bill text and statement reflect a generally pro-regulatory and environmental protection approach, emphasizing oversight, traceability, and prevention of illegal dumping or improper tire storage. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or opposition in the supplied materials. On its face, the measure appears designed to improve public health, safety, and environmental compliance by tightening control over scrap tire handling.
The main points of potential contention are the new licensing and permit burdens, the $150,000 minimum financial assurance for haulers, and the DEP’s broad authority to set fees, deny applications, and impose penalties. Industry participants could view the requirements as costly or administratively burdensome, especially smaller haulers and businesses that temporarily store tires. The bill partially addresses this by exempting certain businesses storing fewer than 500 tires and allowing storage of up to 1,000 tires in secured enclosed containers, but those thresholds and the scope of DEP discretion may still be disputed.