Late last year, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) launched the “Guard Your Backyard” campaign, aimed at giving municipalities more control over the fill material imported into communities in an effort to reduce contamination.

The unauthorized use of “dirty dirt” as fill in sites across New Jersey has long been an issue facing municipalities. In October 2019, DEP launched the "Guard Your Backyard" initiative specifically aimed at curbing the dumping of tainted fill in New Jersey communities.