NJ Attacks Camden County Recycling Business Again For Allegedly Causing Fires

CAMDEN, NJ — A scrap metal recycler based in Camden is again under fire from the State of New Jersey for allegedly causing fires to break out over the last few weeks due to unsafe conditions.

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) amended a lawsuit from January against EMR Advanced Recycling.

The State said they acted "to hold EMR accountable for several additional fires that have occurred in recent weeks," and at least 12 over the last five years.

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Attorney General Jennifer Davenport called "Shame on EMR," in a statement following the amendment. "For years, fires at their facilities have endangered public health and public safety."

According to the complaint, these cases have led to residents suffering from asthma and other acute respiratory illnesses.

The lawsuit now includes reports from an additional fire at a shredder facility in Camden on Feb. 26.

It also alleges EMR is behind a scrap metal fire that broke out aboard a barge ship they own that was traveling in the Delaware Bay on March 10.

According to the State, the barge was bringing scrap metal from EMR's Bayonne plant to their Camden facility while carrying likely mismanaged or unpermitted materials.

"Camden residents should not have to live under the ongoing threat of fires that impact their quality of life and pose public health and safety risks," added Ed Potosnak, Acting Commissioner of the DEP.

The complaint points to a history of fires at EMR facilities dating back to 2020 that have filled streets with smoke and other forms of air pollution.

The State called these actions "an ongoing public nuisance that has severely harmed the health and well-being of Camden's residents."

EMR owns and runs facilities all across New Jersey that collect, process, and recycle scrap metal, including the shredder facility along the Camden Waterfront South area that is home to around 2,300 residents.

Patch has reached out to EMR for comment on the State's amendment and is yet to hear back.

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