Township General Information

Recycling 2012

View recycling flyer (.pdf)

Please bring clean recycling materials to the Franklin Township Recycling Center located at the Township Garage on Asbury-Broadway Road. Our recycling center is open the first Saturday and the third Wednesday of every month as follows:

First Saturday of every month: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Third Wednesday of every month: 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM

The following materials are accepted at our site: newspapers string-tied in bundles only (not in plastic bags), glass containers (green, brown, clear), plastic containers (PET #1, #2, and #3 only), aluminum and tin cans. Materials such as cardboard, junk mail, office paper, etc. are accepted at the Warren County District Landfill at 500 Mt. Pisgah Ave., White Township. Call (908) 453-2174 for details. Items such as used batteries, old computer parts, hazardous waste, etc. are accepted at the District Landfill on selected dates only. Private sanitation companies in the township offer curbside pick-up of certain recyclables. Please contact your garbage hauler for details. If you have any questions regarding the Franklin Township Recycling Program please call our Recycling Coordinator, Roger Bulava after 5:00PM at (908) 689-4809. Thank you for your efforts in keeping Franklin Township "Clean and Green."

Effective January 2011, it is against the law to dispose of electronic waste (computers, monitors, laptops, TVs, etc.) in your garbage. The Electronics Waste Management Act requires that these items be returned to designated collection points. The nearest collection point to Franklin Township is The Best Buy store at 1202 New Brunswick Rd., Phillipsburg, NJ 08865. Store hours are Monday - Thursday 10AM-9PM, Friday and Saturday 9AM-9PM, Sunday 10AM-7PM. You may call Best Buy toll free at (888) 237-8289. For other collection points, please refer to www.recyclenj.org or call (866) 337-5669.

2012 E-Waste Recycling

DEP Advises Residents to Recycling Tvs and Computers, as Successful E-Waste Recycling Program Enters Second Year

Unwanted televisions, computers, electronic tablets, e-book readers, and monitors that have been replaced by new electronic holiday gifts cannot be tossed into the trash but must be recycled as required by the state's one-year-old Electronic Waste Management Act, which generated an estimated 40 million pounds of recycled e-waste last year in New Jersey, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said today.

Learn more ...

Dog Licensing Information

2012 Dog Licenses are not available until January 3, 2012. We only accept exact change or checks for payment of dog licenses. Please made checks payable to Township of Franklin.

All dogs must be licensed during the month of January -
$8.00 spayed/neutered
$11.00 not spayed/neutered
Proof of Rabies good through November 1st of the licensing year.

Additional Curbside Brush Pick-Up - For Storm Related Damage ONLY

No Whole Trees accepted. No limbs larger than 8 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter, cut edge to face road. DPW will be coming around as time warrants to assist township residents.

Steps to Take After a Flood

From NJ's Office of Emergency Management:

Steps To Take After a Flood (.pdf)

Franklin Township Municipal Garage Brush Drop Off

Brush/leaves can be dropped off at the Municipal Garage during the following times:

Mondays: 11am - 1:30pm
1st. Saturday each Month: 9am - 1pm

Please do not drop off at other times - gate will be LOCKED!

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

With the winter heating season upon us, low income New Jersey seniors face the reality of having to pay for their rising utility costs. With that in mind, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs is launching an effort to educate seniors about the energy assistance programs available through the state and how to apply for them.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps directly pay for heating costs while the Universal Service Fund (USF) helps make utility bills affordable by providing a monthly credit on electric or natural gas bills or both. Receiving assistance from either of these programs will not affect the Lifeline benefit some seniors already receive. In fact, qualified individuals can receive all three!

There is one application for both USF and LIHEAP which you can download here. The instructions cover how to complete the application and where to send it. There is an application deadline of March 31, 2007. Applicants can call DCA directly at 800-510-3102 with questions about the application process.

Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act – Information

The Highlands Water Protection Act (Highlands Act) was enacted on Aug. 10, 2004 with the purpose of protecting the region’s great wealth of natural resources, including the waterbodies that supply drinking water to more than half of the state’s population. The Highlands Act defined both a Highlands Preservation Area and a Highlands Planning Area. The regulatory program established by the Highlands Act applies only to Major Highlands Development in the Highlands Preservation Area. An interactive map (i-map) of the Highlands Region is available at www.nj.gov/dep/highlands. The Highlands Special Adoption Rules were adopted on May 9, 2005 and became immediately effective.

For more information on the Highlands Act, visit www.nj.gov/dep/highlands

Highlands Council
100 North Road
Route 513
Chester, New Jersey 07930
(908) 879-6737
Fax (908) 879-4205

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Watershed Management
Bureau of Watershed Regulation
P.O. Box 418
401 East State Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0418
(609) 984-6888

Well Water Testing

The New Jersey Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) requires that all private well owners involved in a real estate sale have their water tested in accordance with the Act.  The Act also requires landlords served by wells to test every 5 years with an initial test conducted before March 15,  2004. The Warren County Health Department recommends that all private well owners have their wells tested for the parameters listed under the PWTA to insure that the water is potable.

The Warren County Health Department strongly recommends that residents of Franklin Township have their wells tested for volatile organic compounds in the area referred to as the Pohatcong Valley. An EPA investigation of the area (Pohatcong Valley Superfund Site) has been ongoing since the early 1980’s.  A new study area has been identified by the EPA as Operable Unit 2 (OU2). All residents in Operable Unit 1 (OU1) should already be using public water.  Operable Unit 2 runs along the Pohatcong Valley in Franklin Township and runs into Greenwich Township. A map is available for review at the Warren County Health Department.  Many residents are aware of the contamination through reading newspaper articles, EPA Town Meetings and Warren County Health Department notifications as part of the PWTA. The chemicals of concern are trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) which are common solvents used in industry and dry cleaning.

Nitrates are also a concern in Franklin Township due mainly to the geology of the area and the extensive use of fertilizer from agriculture. Fertilizers enter the groundwater easily through sinkholes in cavernous limestone.

If you contact a NJ State Certified Lab to test your well for the PWTA parameters make sure you explain that the test is for your knowledge and not a real estate transfer.    

If you have any questions about water sampling or have inquiries about the Superfund Site please feel free to contact the Warren County Health Department at 908-475-7960.

Private Well Testing Act Parameters in Warren County

1. Total Coliform Bacteria*                                                         
2. Nitrates
3. Volatile Organic Compounds (EPA Method 524.2)
4. Iron
5. Manganese
6. pH
7. Total Hardness
8. Lead**

*Total Coliform positive results must be identified further to rule out Fecal Coliform or E Coli contamination.

**Lead results above 10 ppb must be evaluated further to rule out improper sampling procedures or plumbing issues as the likely cause/source of the lead in the sample result.

Bicycle Helmet Law

The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety has asked us to remind you that, effective march 1, 2006 New Jersey's Bicycle Helmet Law will change. Young people under the age of 17 will be required to wear an approved helmet when cycling, roller skating, inline skating, or skateboarding. The law currently affects riders under the age of 14. For more information on the new law and other bicycle safety issues, please go to the Division's website at www.saferoads.com.

Mailboxes

Just a reminder to all residents, please be sure to clearly mark your homes/mailboxes with your house number so that it can be seen from roadside. It will help a firetruck/ambulance/cop find your home in case of an emergency!

9-1-1 Emergency Message

With the winter months ahead and the hazards of this season's driving conditions around the corner, the State's 9-1-1 emergency system will be busy, more than ever, with increased calls. Thousands of calls regarding roadside emergencies and life-threatening accidents will pour into our 9-1-1 centers.

Last year, New Jersey residents placed more than two million emergency calls to 9-1-1 using wireless phones. But, wireless phones don't automatically provide 9-1-1 call-takers with all the information they need.

That's why it is important for all wireless users to remember to provide 9-1-1 call-takers with an exact location, type of emergency, who is involved, and a phone number. If driving, pull over to a safe place, and then provide as much specific information as possible. The more information you provide, the quicker we can help.

Thank you. Together, we can all help New Jersey's 9-1-1 system help you.

Charles S. Dawson
Chief Technology Officer

Franklin Township Online!

We would like to express a hearty thank you to Christie Jacobsen, our webmaster, for a job very well done and for making this site possible. If you would like something added to these pages, please contact the Mayor or the Township Clerk with your request. We want this web site to reflect your interests and needs.

New Environmental Complaints Toll-Free Number

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has recently established a new toll-free telephone number, 1-877-WARNDEP (I -877-927-6337) for the reporting of environmental complaints and abuses including spills, discharges and emergencies. This toll-free hotline number will be operated on a 24-hour, 7-day/week basis.

No Dumping!

Please, NO DUMPING at the Franklin Township Municipal garage. This is not a dump and violators will be prosecuted. If you observe anyone attempting to dump please notify the municipal building and try to obtain a license number. The problem is so severe that the township is contemplating video surveillance of the scene. Refuse is accepted by the Warren County Landfill. For more information call 908- 453-2174.