The Hampton Township Committee finds and determines
that the unregulated and uncontrolled excavation and the removal or
relocation or importation of soils within Hampton Township on any
scale or for sale or use has or may result in conditions detrimental
to the public safety, health and general welfare, substantially hampering
and deterring the efforts of the Township to effectuate the general
purpose of municipal planning.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited
as the "Hampton Township Soil Removal Ordinance."
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
APPROVED PLAN
In the case of a new application, a plan for soil removal,
storage and/or importation approved by the Planning Board along with
a use variance and, in the case of a nonconforming use in existence
on June 29, 1982, and not involving an expansion of that nonconforming
use, a plan approved by the Planning Board.
[Amended 10-26-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-12]
ARABLE SOIL
Soil within eight inches of the surface of the premises from
which soil is contemplated to be removed.
CONTAMINANT
Any hazardous substance, hazardous constituent, hazardous
waste or pollutant.
CONTAMINATED MATERIAL
Any soil, fill or other material containing contaminants
exceeding the present requirements for residential direct contact
pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.1 et seq., technical requirements for
site remediation, as may be amended.
FILL
Soil and/or any other material, whether natural or not, put
into a depression or hole in the ground or used to create mounds or
otherwise artificially change the grade or elevation of real property.
In no case shall "fill" include contaminated material, construction
debris, trash, vegetative debris and/or other forms of waste.
IMPORTATION
Bringing soil or fill to a tax lot within the Township from
another location.
MULCHING
The application of plant residue or other suitable materials
to the land surface to conserve moisture, hold soil in place and aid
in establishing plant cover.
PERMIT
A certificate issued to perform work under this chapter.
RECYCLED ASPHALT PAVEMENT ("RAP")
Asphalt millings (material produced from milling of roads
before repaving) and pieces of asphaltic roadway pavement removed
from roadway surface or subbase or other asphalt-paved surfaces such
as parking lots or driveways.
SOIL
Dirt, stone, gravel, sand, humus, clay, loam, rock, shale,
and/or mixtures of any of these, but excluding contaminated material
and also excluding quarry process or rock products previously used
in construction of roads, driveway or similar construction.
TOPSOIL
The arable soil within eight inches of the surface.
An application to the reviewing municipal board
shall be accompanied by the following:
A. Map.
(1) A map showing:
(a) Existing contour lines at two-foot intervals. No such
topographical map is required for the removal of less than 8,000 cubic
yards of total material unless specifically required by the Board.
(b) Proposed contour lines at two-foot intervals after
removal of the soil.
(c) All existing structures on the subject premises and
within 200 feet thereof.
(d) All existing roads and drainage on the subject premises
and within 200 feet of the property.
(e) Location of topsoil storage areas.
(f) Methods of controlling silting of downstream properties.
(g) The elevation of the water table and of bedrock.
[1]
The determination of the elevation of the water
table and the bedrock shall be made by one of the following methods:
[a]
Test pits with a backhoe.
[e]
Continuous flight auger drilling.
[2]
The test method utilized shall make exploration
for the water table to a depth of at least eight feet below the proposed
final grade. A three-hundred-foot grid pattern shall be used in determining
the water table with a minimum of four locations for a five-acre tract.
The applicant shall notify the Township Engineer at least seven days
in advance of conducting the tests to determine the water table, and
the Township Engineer, or his representative, shall be present and
witness the tests when conducted. A certification of the applicant's
engineer shall be inserted on the map which shall read as follows:
"I hereby certify that the water table is (or is not, whichever is
applicable) within eight feet of the proposed final contour as shown
on this map." The engineer's certification shall also include the
names and addresses of the persons witnessing the tests utilized to
determine the water table, the dates that the tests were taken and
the test methods utilized and a log of the materials found in the
test holes or pits.
(h) All existing trees, 2 1/2 inches in diameter,
measured 4 1/2 feet from the ground level.
(i) Sites which exist at the time of the initial enactment of this chapter
on which there is an existing gravel bank from which 8,000 cubic yards
or less of material are removed during any calendar year are not required
to file the map as required hereunder; provided, however, that the
Township Engineer shall cause a site inspection to be made prior to
the issuance of any permit on any such site, and he shall determine
if the operation, if continued, will have a detrimental effect on
adjoining properties, roads, streams, waterways and on the public
health and safety. The Township Engineer shall render an inspection
report and recommendation to the reviewing municipal board for its
consideration and action prior to the issuance of any permit. The
reviewing municipal board shall have the right after receipt of the
Engineer's report and recommendation to require the filing of a map
in accordance with the provisions of this chapter if it shall deem
it necessary for the proper performance of its duties under this chapter.
(2) The map, submitted by applicant showing proposed contours shall divide the property from which soil is to be removed into five-acre sections. The applicant shall indicate on the map the numerical sequence in which the sections are to be worked. Not more than one section shall be worked at any one time pursuant to §
87-11K herein.
B. An aerial photograph of the site as filed with the
Township Engineer.
C. An indication of the total number of cubic yards to
be removed and the length of time within which the proposed operation
shall be completed, which shall normally not be for longer than five
years. Where a total project is not capable of being completed within
five years, it shall be broken down into two sections, one of which
shall be completed within five years and the other within such further
period not exceeding five years as the appropriate township body may
determine.
E. An approved soil erosion and sediment control plan prepared by a licensed New Jersey professional engineer, in accordance with Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control of the Sussex County Soil Conservation District and §
91-19 of the Hampton Township Ordinances, or a soil erosion plan approved by the Sussex County Soil Conservation District.
After approval of the application by the reviewing municipal board, an application for a permit shall be made to the Township Committee. The Township Committee shall review the application and issue the permit if appropriate. Said permit shall be issued on an annual calendar-year basis. For renewal of permits, see §
87-11J.
If a permit is issued for the removal or importation of soil
or fill as provided herein, the owner, or person in charge, shall
so conduct the operations that there shall be no sharp declivities,
pits or depressions, and in such manner that the area shall be properly
leveled off, cleared of debris and graded to conform to the contour
lines and grades as required and shown on the approved plan. No soil
or fill shall be removed, stored, placed or imported nor shall any
operation be conducted so as to violate any of the regulations contained
in this chapter or any applicable law. The owner, or person in charge,
shall ensure that public rights-of-way used for transport of soil
and/or fill are kept free of soil, fill and debris related to the
operation.
The following regulations shall be observed:
A. Deposits prohibited on adjoining property or public roads. Soil and/or
fill removed and/or imported shall not be deposited or in any way
thrown or placed upon adjoining property or public roads. Any soil
or material resulting from any operation, accumulating on any adjoining
property or public road, shall be removed therefrom immediately, upon
notice by the Township to the permittee.
B. Access road. The applicant shall construct a coarse gravel access
road into the removal site to ensure that trucks leaving the site
will not track material onto the public road. Such access road shall
be in accordance with the requirements of the Township Engineer.
C. Operations near streams or wetlands. All operations shall be conducted
in strict accordance with any federal, state or local law, ordinance
or regulation and the terms and conditions of any permit granted for
the operations. More specifically, but without limitation, the operator
shall strictly comply with the New Jersey Freshwater Wetlands Act,
rules and regulations and the New Jersey Stormwater Management laws,
rules and regulations. No operation shall be permitted within 100
feet of any stream or wetland, unless it can be shown that no federal
or state regulation would be violated and that soil removal, movement
or importation would not alter the quantity or quality of the water,
nor adversely affect the rate of flow, and that the final finishing
grade requires soil disturbance within the 100-foot distance. However,
even if any state or federal law, rule or regulation would permit
the operation or removal within 100 feet of a stream or wetland, the
within restriction applies.
D. Nuisances or hazards. The operation shall be conducted so as not
to constitute a nuisance to adjoining owners or the Township, and
in no event shall the operation create any hazardous or unsafe condition
with regard to any person or persons. No soil or fill shall be removed
or placed within 100 feet of the road right-of-way of any public road
or within 100 feet of any adjoining property line except for that
removal or placement which is necessary for final grading and which
has been approved by the reviewing municipal board.
E. Clearance of area. Upon completion of an operation
or of excavation from an area delineated on the approved plan, the
area shall be properly cleared of debris, graded to conform to the
contours and grades and trees shall be planted, in accordance with
the approved plan. A final map shall be submitted containing and complying
with all requirements as set forth in this section.
F. Requirement of approved plan. Soil shall not be removed or imported,
except in accordance with the approved plan, which plan may, upon
application, be amended from time to time by the reviewing municipal
board.
G. Water table and grade level restrictions. No soil
shall be removed which is within eight feet of the water table, and
no soil shall be removed which is below the grade established and
shown on the approved map.
H. Garbage; pollution; safety hazards. No trash, garbage,
junk or debris shall be stored in any licensed area and no safety
hazards shall be permitted, either during or after the completion
of operations. All burning of combustible debris, resulting from the
soil operation, shall be subject to the regulation set by the Fire
Department or any regulation of a higher authority in effect and shall
be undertaken so as not to create a smoke nuisance or air pollution
safety hazard.
I. Testing and inspection.
(1) Unless otherwise exempt under the terms of this chapter, no permit per §
87-4 shall be issued for relocation and/or importation of soil or fill unless the applicant submits proof that the material has been tested in conformance with §
87-11I(2) below and that it complies with the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation found in N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.1 et seq., as may be amended. Proof shall be a letter from a laboratory certified by the State of New Jersey to perform soil analysis, stating that results meet or exceed the present requirements for residential direct contact pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.1, et seq., as may be amended, along with the actual test results.
(2) Any soil, fill and/or other material brought into the Township from outside source(s) or relocated within the Township for the purpose of temporarily or permanently depositing or storing same on lands within the Township must be tested at the source for compliance with the present requirements found in N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.1 et seq., in accordance with §
87-11I(1) above and collected and evaluated by a laboratory certified by the State of New Jersey. Further:
(a)
All expenses connected with such testing are to be borne by
the recipient of the fill;
(b)
The Township shall have the authority to order additional reports
or inspections as it may deem necessary and appropriate;
(c)
Acceptance or rejection of any material is to be made according
to this chapter and any additional rules or regulations the Township
it may from time to time enact; and
(d)
A minimum of two samples are to be extracted from the source
for laboratory analysis for each 500-cubic-yard lot, or fraction thereof
if from undisturbed natural ground. Testing for all other sources
shall be determined based upon the source and volume of the fill to
be imported. Samples are to be extracted, tested and evaluated by
a state-certified laboratory. Samples must be biased to the location
of the highest suspected contaminated concentrations, as determined
by the laboratory professional or his duly assigned representative.
(3) The applicant shall permit the inspection of the operation and materials,
at any reasonable time, by the Hampton Township Subcode Official and/or
the Township Engineer, or any other person designated by the Township
to perform such inspections. All professional fees and testing expenses
are chargeable to the owner and applicant, jointly and severally.
J. Permit renewal for soil removal.
(1) On or before November 1 of each year, every soil removal operator holding a permit issued pursuant to §
87-8 shall file application for an annual operating license for the next ensuing calendar year. Said application shall be accompanied by the following:
(a)
A letter from the Township Engineer that inspection of the licensed premises has been made pursuant to the requirements of §
87-11I and setting forth the results of said inspection, including specification of any violations of this chapter or of any other law or ordinance.
(b)
A statement from the Tax Collector of the Township
of Hampton that all taxes levied and assessed against the licensed
premises have been paid to date.
(c)
Payment of the annual operating fee, which shall
be $100 where the operating licensee contemplates removal of less
than 8,000 cubic yards in the ensuing year and $500 where more than
8,000 cubic yards are expected to be removed in the ensuing year.
(2) If the report of the inspection of the Township Engineer indicates that there are any violations or problems in connection with the soil removal operation, the Clerk shall not issue the annual operating license but shall submit all papers to the Township Committee. The Township Committee may determine, on the basis of the papers submitted, to authorize issuance of the license or of a limited or conditional license; or in its discretion, may, in the case of serious violations, require the licensee to show cause why the operating license and permit should not be suspended or revoked in accordance with §
87-14.
K. Soil removal limited to five-acre sections. In order
to minimize the possibility of mud slides or drainage of silt, and
for safety purposes, the area of operations for excavation shall be
limited to one five-acre section as shown on applicant's soil removal
map, at any one time. The applicant shall fence and enclose the five-acre
section currently the subject of soil removal operations. The applicant
shall not commence soil removal upon a succeeding five-acre section
without the replacement of topsoil and reseeding and restoration of
the previous five-acre section and approval of restoration by the
reviewing municipal board. Each succeeding five-acre section shall
be enclosed before soil removal operations are commenced thereon.
L. Respreading and reseeding of arable soil. Upon the completion of work in any specific area, all respreading of arable soil and reseeding as required by this section and §
87-10 of this chapter shall be completed within 60 days thereafter; except that, if the completion of work in an area occurs during the winter months when it would not be practical to respread the topsoil and reseed it, the work shall be completed within the additional time as may be specified by the reviewing municipal board.
M. Exception from regulations. In any action taken by
the reviewing municipal body with regard to this section of the township
ordinances, the body shall give primary consideration to the rules,
regulations and standards herein set forth, in order to promote the
general welfare of the entire community. If, however, the applicant
can clearly demonstrate, because of peculiar conditions pertaining
to his or her land, that literal enforcement of one or more of these
regulations is impractical or will exact undue hardship, the reviewing
municipal body may grant exceptions from the requirements of such
sections as may be reasonable within the general intent of this chapter.
It shall state its reasons for granting any such exceptions in resolution
form.
N. Hours of operation. Hours of operation shall be limited
from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and 7:00 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. There shall be no operation of any kind
or character on Sundays or legal holidays. No vehicles shall arrive
on the site until 7:00 a.m.
O. Working face of excavation. While working an area,
the working face of the excavation shall not exceed 85º from
the horizontal, nor shall an eighty-five-degree angle have a vertical
height exceeding 30 feet. Any face not currently being worked on shall
not exceed 30º from the horizontal. A suitable fence shall be
erected on three sides of the working face of the excavation in order
to prevent persons from approaching such working face from the existing
grade level. Where an excavated area adjoins a road, no excavation
shall be made below the level of the road for a distance of 100 feet
back from the right-of-way of the road. Where an excavated area is
within 50 feet from any building, the finished grade thereof shall
not exceed 10% or be less than 2%. Care should be taken so that there
shall be no diversion of surface water either during the operation
or after the project is complete.
After reasonable notice and an opportunity to
be heard before the Township Committee, the permit of any person may
be revoked or suspended for such period as the Township Committee
may determine, for any violation of the terms hereof or the terms
and conditions of any approved plan and permit granted hereunder.
In the case of any violation of this chapter or in the case
of any excavation, removal, storage, placement or importation being
conducted or having been conducted without the required permit, the
Township of Hampton through the Zoning Officer may institute an action
to enjoin or other appropriate action or proceeding in court to prevent
the violation of this chapter. The Zoning Officer may issue a notice
to stop work until the proper permits are obtained and this ordinance
is complied with.
Notwithstanding any contrary term in this chapter, importation,
use and/or placement of recycled asphalt pavement to or on property
in the Township is prohibited unless permitted by and used in accordance
with applicable regulations promulgated by the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection; however, in no case shall the material
be placed within the boundaries of a public road. This section shall
not apply to road maintenance, repair and/or replacement conducted
by the Township, county or state.
Notwithstanding any contrary term in this chapter, importation
of contaminated material, construction debris, trash or vegetative
debris or of solid waste as defined by N.J.A.C. 7:26-1.6 to a property
for deposit within the Township is prohibited.