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A 5357

Relates to recovery community centers

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Bill Conrad and 1 co-sponsor

The bill creates a voluntary statewide program to collect, transport, dispose of, and recycle unused pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and containers from commercial farms.

REFERRED TO ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE
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Bill Summary · A 5357

Bill Summary — A5357 (1R)

Title: Establishes farm pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer collection and disposal program
Introduced: February 25, 2025
Status: Referred to Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; subsequently reported from multiple committees; transferred to Appropriations (reported 1R)
Effective Date: 180th day after enactment (agencies may take anticipatory action)

Purpose / Intent

To create a voluntary statewide program that collects, transports, disposes of, and recycles unused pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers containing pesticides, and pesticide containers held by commercial farms — reducing environmental risk and promoting proper disposal/recycling.

Key provisions

  • Establishment and administration

    • Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, must establish the program.
    • DEP must adopt any necessary implementing regulations under the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • Collection network and events

    • DEP to strategically place collection sites across the State, explicitly including at least one site in each of the northern, central, and southern regions.
    • Each collection site must host at least two collection events per year.

  • Contracting and oversight

    • DEP to contract with and oversee entities qualified to safely collect, transport, dispose of, or recycle pesticides, fertilizers containing pesticides, and pesticide containers.

  • Local agents and reporting

    • DEP to appoint local agents/representatives to inventory collected items and provide timely data to DEP.
    • DEP required to prepare and publish an annual report on program operations; committee amendment requires submission of the report to the Governor and the Legislature.

  • Outreach

    • Department of Agriculture, in consultation with DEP, must run a cooperative public education and awareness campaign (site locations, event dates, accepted items, benefits to farmers and environment).
    • Information to be posted and maintained on the Department of Agriculture website.

  • Participation

    • Participation is voluntary for commercial farms (defined by existing statute).

Fiscal impact / Costs

  • Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimate:
    • Annual State expenditure increase up to $500,000.
    • Personnel: up to 2 additional FTEs (one for DEP, one for Agriculture) — roughly $250,000/year including fringe.
    • Contracting: up to $250,000/year to hire qualified contractors for collection/disposal/recycling.
    • Potential, indeterminate increase in municipal or county expenditures where local agents assist (may be mitigated if integrated with existing hazardous-waste collection events).
  • Executive branch provided no fiscal note; OLS produced estimate.

Affected parties

  • Primary: commercial farms in New Jersey (owners/operators of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer stocks and containers).
  • State agencies: DEP (lead), Department of Agriculture.
  • Local governments: may be asked to appoint local agents and could incur administrative costs.
  • Private contractors/vendors: entities qualified to handle hazardous-agricultural waste.

Procedural history & sponsors

  • Sponsors (Assembly): Clinton Calabrese, Ellen J. Park, Heather Simmons, Carrie Woerner (primary listed), William Conrad (cosponsor), Shama A. Haider (cosponsor).
  • Committee actions: Reported with amendments by Assembly Commerce, Economic Development & Agriculture (3/6/25); reported to Appropriations (3/20/25).
  • Related/companion bills: S1576; S3963 (Senate companions).

Notes

  • Committee amendments broadened the program scope to explicitly include herbicides and fertilizers and added the requirement for DEP annual reporting to Governor and Legislature.
  • The program is voluntary; actual state and local costs will scale with farmer participation and opportunities to integrate with existing waste collection infrastructure.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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