4. (a) The governing body of any municipality may, by ordinance duly adopted, create a public body corporate and politic under the name and style of “the ………………………….. incinerator authority” with all or any significant part of the name of such municipality inserted. The governing body of a municipality in which an incinerator authority has been established pursuant to P.L.1948, c.348 (C. 40:66A-1 et seq.) prior to the effective date of P.L.2012, c.31 may, by ordinance duly adopted, create, continue and reestablish the incinerator authority under the name and style of the “environmental services authority” with all or any significant part of the name of the municipality inserted. An incinerator or environmental services authority created pursuant to this section by a municipality other than a city of the first class shall consist of five members, and an incinerator or environmental services authority created pursuant to this section by a municipality which is a city of the first class shall consist of five or seven members, as determined by the governing body. Members of the incinerator or environmental services authority shall be appointed by resolution of the governing body as hereinafter in this section provided, and the authority shall constitute the incinerator or environmental services authority contemplated and provided for in this act and an agency and instrumentality of said municipality. After the taking effect of such ordinance and the filing of a certified copy thereof as in subsection (c) of this section provided, the members of the incinerator or environmental services authority shall be appointed. The members first appointed shall, by the resolution of appointment, be designated to serve for terms respectively expiring as follows: the terms of the first four members shall expire in turn on each of the first days of the first, second, third and fourth Februaries next ensuing after the date of their appointment, and the remaining members shall be designated to serve for terms expiring on the first day of the fifth February next ensuing after the date of their appointment. On or after the first day of January in each year after such first appointments, one person shall be appointed or reappointed as a member of the incinerator or environmental services authority to succeed each member whose term is expiring, and shall serve for a term commencing on the first day of February in such year and expiring on the first day of February in the fifth year after such year. In the event of a vacancy in the membership of the incinerator or environmental services authority occurring during an unexpired term of office, a person shall be appointed as a member of the incinerator or environmental services authority to serve for such unexpired term.

The governing body of a municipality which is a city of the first class may increase the membership of its incinerator or environmental services authority to seven members from five members. The two additional members shall be appointed to serve five-year terms, commencing on the February 1 next following their appointment and expiring on February 1 in the fifth year after their appointment.

(b) The governing bodies of any two or more municipalities, whether or not the areas of such municipalities comprise an integral body of territory, may, by parallel ordinances duly adopted by each of such governing bodies within any single calendar year, create a public body corporate and politic under the name and style of “the …………………………… incinerator authority” with all or any significant part of the name of each such municipality or some identifying geographical phrase inserted. The governing bodies of any two or more municipalities who have established an incinerator authority pursuant to P.L.1948, c.348 (C. 40:66A-1 et seq.) prior to the effective date of P.L.2012, c.31, whether or not the areas of such municipalities comprise an integral body of territory, may, by parallel ordinances duly adopted by each of such governing bodies within any single calendar year, create, continue and reestablish the incinerator authority under the name and style of “the environmental services authority” with all or any significant part of the name of each such municipality or some identifying geographical phrase inserted. Said body shall consist of the members thereof, in an aggregate number determined as hereinafter in this subsection provided, who shall be appointed by resolution of the several governing bodies as hereinafter in this section provided, and it shall constitute the incinerator or environmental services authority contemplated and provided for in this act and an agency and instrumentality of the said municipalities. The number of members of the incinerator or environmental services authority to be appointed at any time for full terms of office by the governing body of any such municipality or municipalities, as the case may be, shall be as may be stated in said ordinances which shall be not less than one nor more than three. After the taking effect of the said ordinances of all such municipalities and after the filing of certified copies thereof as in subsection (c) of this section provided, the appropriate number of persons shall be appointed as members of the incinerator or environmental services authority by the governing body of each municipality. The members first appointed or to be first appointed shall serve for terms expiring on the first day of the fifth February next ensuing after the date of the first appointment of any member. On or after the first day of January in the year in which expires the terms of the said members first appointed and in every fifth year thereafter, the appropriate number of persons shall be appointed as members of the incinerator or environmental services authority by the governing body of each municipality, to serve for terms commencing on the first day of February in such year and expiring on the first day of February in the fifth year after such year. In the event of a vacancy in the membership of the incinerator or environmental services authority occurring during an unexpired term of office, a person shall be appointed as a member of the incinerator or environmental services authority to serve for such unexpired term by the governing body which made the original appointment for such unexpired term.

(c) A copy of each ordinance for the creation of an incinerator or environmental services authority adopted pursuant to this section, duly certified by the appropriate officer of the local unit, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. Upon proof of such filing of a certified copy of the ordinance or of certified copies of the parallel ordinances for the creation of an incinerator or environmental services authority as aforesaid, the incinerator or environmental services authority therein referred to shall, in any suit, action or proceeding involving the validity or enforcement of, or relating to, any contract or obligation or act of the incinerator or environmental services authority, be conclusively deemed to have been lawfully and properly created and established and authorized to transact business and exercise its powers under this act. A copy of any such certified ordinance, duly certified by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, shall be admissible in evidence in any suit, action or proceeding.

(d) A copy of each resolution appointing any member of an incinerator or environmental services authority adopted pursuant to this section, duly certified by the appropriate officer of the local unit, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. A copy of such certified resolution, duly certified by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, shall be admissible in evidence in any suit, action or proceeding and, except in a suit, action or proceeding directly questioning such appointment, shall be conclusive evidence of the due and proper appointment of the members named therein.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a) or subsection (b) of this section with respect to the continuation and reestablishment of an environmental services authority, no governing body which may create or join in the creation of any incinerator or environmental services authority pursuant to this section shall thereafter create or join in the creation of any other incinerator or environmental services authority. No governing body of any municipality within a district shall create or join in the creation of any incinerator or environmental services authority except upon the written consent of the incinerator or environmental services authority and in accordance with the terms and conditions of such consent, and in the event such consent be given and an incinerator or environmental services authority be created pursuant thereto, the area within the territorial boundaries of such municipality shall not thereafter be part of the district.

L.1948, c.348, s.4; amended 2012, c.31, s.4.