a. There is established in the Executive Branch of the State Government a public body corporate and politic, with corporate succession, to be known as the Hazardous Waste Facilities Siting Commission. For the purpose of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the commission is allocated within the Department of Environmental Protection, but, notwithstanding that allocation, the commission shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or by the commissioner or any officer or employee thereof. The commission shall constitute an instrumentality of the State exercising public and essential governmental functions, and the exercise by the commission of the powers conferred by this or any other act shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the State.

b. The commission shall consist of nine members, except as otherwise provided in subsection c. of this section. Three of these members shall be county or municipal elected or appointed officials at the time of their appointment, three shall be employed by an industrial firm, and three shall be representatives of environmental or public interest organizations. Each of these members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of 3 years, provided that of the members of the commission first appointed by the Governor, three shall serve for terms of 1 year, three for terms of 2 years, and three for terms of 3 years, so that one member from each of the three categories of membership shall be appointed to serve for a term of each such duration. Each of these members shall hold office for the term of his appointment and until his successor shall have been appointed and qualified. A member shall be eligible for reappointment . Any vacancy in the membership occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but for the unexpired term only.

c. Whenever the commission considers the recommendations of an administrative law judge pursuant to subsection a. of section 11 hereof, two additional voting members shall be appointed to the commission. One of the additional members shall be appointed by the governing body of the county wherein the proposed major hazardous waste facility site is located, and the other shall be appointed by the governing body of the municipality wherein such site is located. In the event that such site is located in more than one county or municipality, each of the affected county and municipal governing bodies shall appoint an additional member of the commission, except that all of such county appointments shall share a single vote, and all of such municipal appointments shall share a single vote.

d. Each member may be removed from office by the appointing authority, for cause and after opportunity for a hearing, and may be suspended by the appointing authority pending the completion of the hearing. Each member who shall miss three consecutive meetings of the commission without being excused for good cause by the chairman shall be deemed to have vacated his office.

e. Each member of the commission shall, before entering upon his duties, take and subscribe an oath to perform the duties of his office faithfully, impartially, and justly to the best of his ability. A record of these oaths shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

f. The members of the commission shall elect from among their number a chairman, who shall schedule, convene and chair commission meetings, and a vice-chairman, who shall act as chairman in his absence. The members of the commission shall appoint an executive director, who shall be the chief administrative officer and secretary of the commission. The executive officer shall serve at the pleasure of the commission, and shall be a person qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of his office.

g. The powers of the commission shall be vested in the members thereof in office, and a majority of the total authorized membership of the commission shall be required to exercise its powers at any meeting thereof.

h. Each member of the commission shall execute a bond to be conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties in such form and amount as may be prescribed by the State Treasurer. The bonds shall be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State. At all times thereafter, the commission members shall maintain the bonds in full force. The commission shall pay the cost of the bonds.

i. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but the commission may, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available therefor, reimburse members for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the discharge of their official duties.

j. A true copy of the minutes of every meeting of the commission shall be prepared and forthwith delivered by and under the certification of the secretary thereof to the Governor. No action taken at the meeting by the commission shall have effect until 10 days, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays excepted, after the copy of the minutes shall have been so delivered, unless during the 10-day period, the Governor shall approve the minutes, in which case the action shall become effective upon that approval. If, in the 10-day period, the Governor returns the copy of the minutes with a veto of any action taken by the commission at that meeting, the action shall be of no effect.

L.1981, c. 279, s. 4, eff. Sept. 10, 1981.