[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Union City 1-7-1997 as § 6-4 of the 1996 Revised General Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
Title. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Air Pollution Control Code of the City of Union City."
B. 
Findings and declaration of policy. It is hereby declared that pollution of the atmosphere by smoke, cinders, soot, fly ash, gases, fumes, vapors, odors, dust and other contaminants is a menace to the health, welfare and comfort of the residents of the City and a cause of substantial damage to property. For the purpose of controlling and reducing atmospheric pollution, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the City to minimize air pollution as herein defined and prohibit excessive emission of the same, to establish standards governing the installation, maintenance and operation of equipment and appurtenances relating to combustion which are a source of air pollution and, in furtherance of this purpose, to cooperate and coordinate these efforts with the air pollution control program administered by the Division of Environmental Quality of the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection Air Pollution Control Program.
As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:
AIR POLLUTION
The presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more air contaminants in such quantities and duration as are or tend to be injurious to human health or welfare, to animal or plant life or to property, or would unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property throughout the City as shall be affected thereby, and excludes all aspects of employer-employee relationships as to health and safety hazards.
ECONOMIC POISONS
Those chemicals used as insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, herbicides, nematocides or defoliants.
FUEL-BURNING EQUIPMENT
Any furnace, boiler, water heater, device, mechanism, stoker, burner, stack, oven, stove, kiln, still or other apparatus, or a group or collection of such units in the process of fuel burning for the generation of heat or power. Refuse-burning equipment shall be considered incinerators, as herein defined, and not as fuel-burning equipment under this definition. Ovens, stoves or ranges used exclusively for domestic cooking purposes are not included herein.
INCINERATOR
Any device, apparatus, equipment or structure used for destroying, reducing or salvaging by fire any material or substance, including but not limited to refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris or scrap, or facilities for cremating human or animal remains.
ODOR
A property of a substance which affects the sense of smell.
OPEN BURNING
Any fire wherein the products of combustion are emitted into the open air and are not directed thereto through a stack or chimney.
OPERATOR
Any person who has care, custody or control of a building or premises, or a portion thereof, whether with or without the knowledge of the owner thereof.
OWNER
Any person who, alone or jointly or severally with others, shall have legal or equitable title to any premises, with or without the accompanying actual possession thereof; or who shall have charge, care or control of any premises or part thereof, including but not limited to a dwelling or dwelling unit, as owner or agent of the owner, or as a fiduciary, including but not limited to executor, administrator, trustee, receiver, guardian or as a mortgagee in possession regardless of how such possession was obtained. Any person who is a lessee or sublessee or all or any part of any premises, including but not limited to a dwelling or dwelling unit, shall be deemed to be a co-owner with the lessor and shall have joint responsibility with the owner over the premises or portion hereof so leased or subleased.
REFUSE
All putrescible and nonputrescible wastes, except body wastes, and shall include but not be limited to garbage, rubbish, yard trimmings, leaves, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, abandoned automobiles and solid market and industrial wastes.
RINGELMANN SMOKE CHART
Ringelmann's Scale for Grading the Density of Smoke, published by the United State Bureau of Mines, or any chart, recorder, indicator or device for the measurement of smoke density which is approved by the Department of Environmental Protection of the State of New Jersey, as the equivalent of the Ringelmann's Scale.
RUBBISH
Solids not considered to be highly flammable or explosive and shall include but not be limited to rags, old clothes, leather, rubber, carpets, wood, excelsior, paper, ashes, tree branches, yard trimmings, furniture, tin cans, glass, crockery, masonry and other similar materials.
SALVAGE OPERATIONS
Any business, trade or industry engaged in whole or in part in salvaging or reclaiming any product or material, including but not limited to metals, chemicals, shipping containers or drums.
SMOKE
Small gas-borne particles arising from a process of combustion in sufficient number to be observable.
TRADE WASTE
All solid or liquid material or rubbish resulting from construction, building operations or the prosecution of any business, trade or industry and shall include but not be limited to plastic products, cartons, paint, grease, oil and other petroleum products, chemicals, cinders and other forms of solid or liquid waste materials.
A. 
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit open burning of refuse or plant life, nor conduct a salvage operation by open burning, except as provided in Subsection B.
B. 
The open burning of trade waste is not prohibited where no other method of disposal can be used without hazard to health or property and the required affidavit has been filed with and approved by the Commissioner of the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection in accordance with Chapter 11, Section 1.4, of the New Jersey Air Pollution Control Code.
A. 
Smoke emissions. No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit smoke from any incinerator, the shade or appearance of which is darker than No. 1 of the Ringelmann Smoke Chart, to be emitted into the open air; or emissions of such opacity within a stack or chimney or, exclusive of water vapor, of such opacity leaving a stack or chimney to a degree greater than the emission designated as No. 1 of the Ringelmann Smoke Chart.
B. 
New fires. The provisions of Subsection A shall not apply to smoke emitted during the building of a new fire, the shade or appearance of which is not darker than No. 2 of the Ringelmann Smoke Chart, for a period of no longer than three consecutive minutes; or to emissions of such opacity within a stack or chimney or, exclusive of water vapor, of such opacity leaving a stack or chimney to a degree which is not greater than the emissions designated as No. 2 of the Ringelmann Smoke Chart, for a period of no longer than three consecutive minutes.
C. 
Visible particles. No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the emission of particles of unburned waste or ash from any incinerator which are individually large enough to be visible while suspended in the atmosphere.
D. 
Odors. No person shall construct, install, use or cause to be used any incinerator which will result in odors being detectable by sense of smell in any area of human use or occupancy.
E. 
Limitation on time of operation. No person shall operate and no owner or operator of any building in the City shall permit the operation of an incinerator prior to 7:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. of any day, and all operation shall be completely terminated by 5:00 p.m., including complete extinction of the fire and removal of material in a safe manner from the firebox to a noncombustible container, provided that, by special permit, the Health Officer may, because of exceptional circumstances, permit different hours of operation under such conditions as (s)he shall deem necessary for the health, safety and welfare of the public or of persons in the vicinity.
No person or owner of property, and no person having possession or control of property, shall cause, suffer, allow or permit to be emitted into the open air substances in such quantities as shall result in air pollution. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the use of economic poisons.
A. 
All buildings and premises subject to this code are subject to inspection from time to time by the Health Officer of his/her duly authorized representatives. All rooms and areas in the building shall be available and accessible for such inspection which shall be made during usual business hours if the premises is used for nonresidential purposes, provided that inspections may be made at other times if the premises is not available during the foregoing hours for inspection; there is reason to believe that violations are occurring on the premises which can only be apprehended and proved by inspection during other than the prescribed hours; or there is reason to believe a violation exists of a character which is an immediate threat to health or safety requiring inspection and abatement without delay.
B. 
Emergency inspections may be authorized without warrant if the Health Officer has reason to believe that a condition exists which poses an immediate threat to life, health or safety. Such procedure shall take place only where the time required to apply for and secure the issuance of a warrant would render ineffective the immediate action necessary to abate the condition. Emergency inspections may also be authorized by the Governor in times of air pollution emergencies in accordance with N.J.S.A. 26:2C-32. Where the Health Officer or his/her duly authorized representatives are refused entry or access or are otherwise impeded or prevented by the owner, occupant or operator from conducting an inspection of the premises, such person shall be in violation of this code and subject to the penalties hereunder.
A. 
The Health Officer, upon affidavit, may apply to the Judge of the Municipal Court of the City for a search warrant setting forth factually the actual conditions and circumstances that provide a reasonable basis for believing that a nuisance or violation of the code may exist on the premises, including one or more of the following:
(1) 
That the premises requires inspection according to the cycle established by the City for periodic inspections of premises of the type involved.
(2) 
That observation of external conditions (for example, smoke, ash soot, odors) of the premises and its public areas has resulted in the belief that violations of this code exist.
(3) 
Circumstances such as age and design of fuel-burning equipment or system, types of incinerator, particular use of premises or other factors which render systematic inspections of such buildings necessary in the interest of public health and safety.
B. 
If the Judge of the Municipal Court of the City is satisfied as to the matters set forth in the affidavit, (s)he shall authorize the issuance of a search warrant permitting access to and inspection of that part of the premises on which the nuisance or violation may exist.
[Amended 5-21-2013]
Any person who violates or neglects to comply with any provision of this chapter or code established herein, or notice issued pursuant thereto, shall, upon conviction thereof, be liable to a penalty as provided in Chapter 1, Article IV, General Penalty.