It may be much harder to fill property in New Jersey. In a recent decision, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection v. Bleimaier, 2018 WL 1513152, (App. Div. 2018), the New Jersey Appellate Division in effect has held that the placement of more than five-yards of fill material always changes the existing topography and a permit is required.
In the case, a homeowner was issued an Administrative Order and Notice of Civil Administrative Penalty Assessment after the homeowner filled and graded their property, which fell within a delineated-flood-hazard-area, without a permit. The homeowner argued that a permit was not required because they were not altering the pre-existing topography and were merely remediating recent soil erosion.
The Department disagreed because the stated purpose of N.J.A.C. 7:13-2.4(a)(1) was to require a permit for “any topographic alteration, such as excavation, grading, or placement of fill.” Agreeing with the Department, the Appellate Division reasoned that if it were to accept the homeowner’s argument, a landowner could choose an arbitrary point in time and claim that they were restoring the topography to that particular point.
While the Appellate Division explains that the Department’s interpretation of the regulation was consistent with its stated purpose and in the public’s interest, the Department appears to be taking the position that the placement of more than five-yards of fill changes the pre-existing topography and, in effect, a permit is always required. The question becomes, was this the result the Department intended?