[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of West Milford 3-28-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-005; amended in its entirety 9-23-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-022. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Pesticides — See Ch. 268.
Stormwater management — See Ch. 325.
Soil removal and soil fill — See Ch. 460.
The Township of West Milford has determined that the surface water quality of the lakes and streams within the Township is being negatively affected by phosphorous loadings in part by fertilizers entering the waterways from stormwater runoff. The purpose of this chapter is to decrease the amount of phosphorous in our waterways by limiting the use of fertilizers, especially the use of fertilizers containing phosphorous within the Township.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COMMERCIAL FARM
A farm management unit of no less than five acres producing agricultural or horticultural products worth $2,500 or more annually, which has been devoted to such activities for at least two successive years and which satisfies the criteria for differential property taxation pursuant to the Farmland Assessment Act of 1964, P.L. 1964 c. 48 (N.J.S.A. 54:4-23.1 et seq.).
FERTILIZER
Any fertilizer material, mixed fertilizer or any other substance containing one or more recognized plant nutrients, which is used for its plant nutrient content, which is designed for use or claimed to have value in promoting plant growth, and which is sold, offered for sale, or intended for sale.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
A surface that has been covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water. This term shall be used to include any highway, street, sidewalk, parking lot, driveway, or other material that prevents infiltration of water into the soil.
PHOSPHOROUS FERTILIZER
Any fertilizer that contains phosphorous, expressed as P2O5 with a guaranteed analysis of greater than zero; except that it shall not be considered to include animal (including human) or vegetable manures, agricultural liming materials or woodashes that have been amended to increase their nutrient content.
SOILS TEST
A technical analysis of soil conducted by an accredited soil testing laboratory following the protocol for such a test established by Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension.
A. 
No person, firm, corporation, franchise or other entity shall do the following:
(1) 
Apply phosphorous fertilizer in outdoor areas except as demonstrated to be needed for the specific soils and target vegetation in accordance with a soils test and the associated annual fertilizer recommendation application issued by Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension Service.
(2) 
Deposit leaves or other vegetative material on roads or within any lake or stormwater drainage system.
(3) 
Apply fertilizer when a runoff-producing rainfall is occurring or predicted and/or when soils are saturated and a potential for fertilizer movement off-site exists.
(4) 
Apply fertilizer to an impervious surface. Fertilizer inadvertently applied to an impervious surface must be swept or blown back into the target surface or returned to either its original or another appropriate container for reuse.
(5) 
Apply fertilizer more than 15 days prior to the start of or at any time after the end of the recognized growing season (March 1 through November 15).
B. 
Exceptions.
(1) 
Application of phosphorous fertilizer needed for the establishing of vegetation for the first time, such as after land disturbance, provided the application is in accordance with the requirements under the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act, N.J.S.A. 4:24-39 et seq.
(2) 
Application of phosphorous fertilizer needed from the reestablishing or repair of a turf area.
(3) 
Application of phosphorous fertilizer that delivers liquid or granular fertilizer under the soil's surface, directly to the feeder roots.
(4) 
Application of phosphorous fertilizer to residential container plantings, flower beds, or vegetable gardens.
C. 
Buffer zone. Any fertilizer applications shall not be made within 10 feet of any wetland or body of water, lake, stream, pond, storm drainage system or watercourse.
No person, firm, corporation, franchise or entity shall engage the services of a landscaper or fertilizer applicator to apply fertilizer within West Milford Township, unless such landscaper or applicator is licensed in accordance with this chapter.
A. 
License required. No person, firm, corporation or other entity shall engage in the business of fertilizer application within the Township unless a municipal license has been obtained from the West Milford Township Department of Health as provided herein.
B. 
Licensing procedure. Applications for a commercial fertilizer applicator license shall be submitted to the West Milford Township Department of Health. The application shall consist of the following:
(1) 
Identification: name, address, telephone number of applicant and any individuals authorized to represent the applicant, and New Jersey commercial pesticide application license number (if licensed).
(2) 
Fertilizer formula: a copy of the formula for fertilizer mixtures meeting the limitations of the definition of "phosphorus fertilizer" in § 138-2 to be applied within the Township shall be submitted, along with the initial application for a license, and, thereafter, at least 30 days before fertilizer composition changes are implemented.
(3) 
License fee. The license fee for all commercial landscapers and/or fertilizer applicators shall be as set forth in Chapter 135, Fees and Costs, which shall be paid annually. The license shall be effective from January 1 until December 31 of the year in which the license was applied for. A separate copy of the license will be issued for each vehicle owned or used by the applicant for an additional fee as set forth in Chapter 135, Fees and Costs. The license fee shall not be prorated.
C. 
Conditions of license. Fertilizer application licenses shall be issued subject to the following conditions, which shall be specified on the license form:
(1) 
Random sampling. Commercial fertilizer applicators shall permit the Township to sample any commercial fertilizer mixture to be applied within the Township at any time after issuance of the initial license. The licensee shall pay the cost of such sampling.
(2) 
Possession of license. The commercial fertilizer application license or a copy thereof shall be in the possession of any party employed by the fertilizer applicator when making fertilizer applications within the Township.
D. 
Revocation or suspension of license. All licenses issued under this section shall be deemed to be granted upon the express condition that, in addition to any other sanction or penalty, the Health Officer may:
(1) 
After due notice by personal service or certified mail, and after a due process hearing before the Township Administrator and Heath Officer, suspend or revoke the license of any person for violating any provision of this section.
(2) 
Suspend temporarily, pending a hearing or notice thereof, any such license when deemed by the Health Officer to be immediately necessary to prevent emergent danger to the public welfare. Any such temporary suspension without a hearing shall be for a period not longer than 20 days.
A. 
During the initial growing season, newly established turf areas shall be exempt from the provisions of § 138-3A of this chapter for a period not to exceed three months.
B. 
Recreational (public, private and golf course) field owners shall be exempt from the provisions of § 138-3A of this chapter upon a showing, through a Township-approved testing procedure, that there is a need for phosphorus in excess of the limits herein or other demonstrable necessity.
C. 
Commercial farms, as defined in this section, shall be exempt from the provisions of § 138-3A for a period of two years after the enactment of this chapter.
Any person, firm, corporation or franchise violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not to exceed $2,000, imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days or by a period of community service not to exceed 90 days or by any combination thereof. Such penalties may be in addition to the revocation or suspension of the license, as provided in § 138-5D. Each incident or violation (as measured on a daily basis) shall be considered a separate offense. However, in the case of a violation that is issued to a property owner who is not required to obtain a commercial license, a written warning shall be issued for a first offense.