On Uneasy Ground: Salem County Residents Push Back Against Giordano’s Recycling Facility
Janice Roots, a community activist and Salem County resident looking over old Salem City landfill, Photo by Frank Santos
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was produced as part of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University’s South Jersey Information Equity Project fellowship and supported with funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
BY FRANK SANTOS | South Jersey Information Equity Project
SALEM — A proposed materials recovery facility (MRF) by Giordano’s Recycling has ignited public concern in Salem City, where residents and environmental advocates are raising alarms about the risks of building such a project atop a closed landfill near the Salem River.
The proposed plant raised concerns about environmental justice issues. Salem City is nearly 57% Black and about 7% identify themselves as Latinos. More than 75% of the rest of Salem County is White.
At a public meeting hosted by the Salem County Waste Advisory Council (SWAC) on March 31, 2025, community members gathered to hear the third presentation on Giordano’s application. The proposal outlines a facility that would process 100 tons of solid waste daily, transported by up to 100 trucks—on a site capped over 30 years ago after the Salem City Landfill exceeded its capacity.
Site of old Salem City Landfill and location of proposed new plant and blueprint image, Photo by Frank Santos
This site, located off Tilbury Road, has a complex legacy. The 41-acre landfill was closed in the early 1990s and capped in 1996 by Soil Safe using 1.9 million tons of recycled soil. A failed solar energy project was proposed there in 2011, but since then, the area has remained dormant. The idea of reactivating industrial activity on this fragile ground, which lies just feet from a port on the Salem River, has raised serious concerns about environmental integrity, public safety, and transparency.
Lisa Davis, Salem County resident speaking at SWAC Public Meeting, Photo by Frank Santos
Lisa Davis, a Salem County resident, urged decision-makers to prioritize public health over private interests. “The residents of Salem County deserve thoughtful, evidence-based governance—especially when public health and taxpayer resources are at stake,” she said.
Environmental concerns are not new to Salem.
The DuPont Chemical Corporation once operated a plant nearby that left behind radioactive waste material from their work building the atomic bomb. Companies like Mannington Mills and H.J. Heinz also dumped industrial waste in the old Salem City Landfill which caused it to reach its full capacity at an estimated 1-3 million tons of waste.
The Anchor Glass Container Corporation was the last of the major industries in Salem and maintained 350 employees, but closed permanently in 2014, leaving many of the city’s workers suddenly unemployed and with a vacant, toxic facility left behind. Many residents fear this project could continue that legacy rather than break from it.
Janice Roots, a community activist and Salem County resident looking over old Salem City landfill, Photo by Frank Santos
Janice Roots, another resident of Salem, questioned the lack of clarity in the plans presented by Giordano’s engineers.
“These roads are not built to accommodate the 100 trucks per day you mentioned in your presentation,” she said, pointing to the traffic and environmental burdens posed by such a high-volume operation. “This is a short-sighted solution to privatize Salem that ignores the long term financial and environmental mismanagements of Salem County.” she shared as she observed the capped Salem City Landfill.
Underlying the debate is the city’s financial instability. With a $71 million debt, Salem County has pursued various privatization deals, including the sale of its water and sewer systems to New Jersey American Water for $18 million in 2024. For many, the MRF feels like another quick fix that could carry long-term costs.
SWAC team and Girodano’s representative speaking at SWAC Public Meeting March 31st, 2025, Photo by Frank Santos
Despite community resistance, the SWAC voted 7–6 in favor of moving the proposal forward. A public hearing by the County Commissioners is expected within 90 days. If approved, the plan will go to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for review.
As Salem residents await the next steps, they remain united in a call for transparency, environmental justice, and a future not built on buried mistakes.
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