A recycling company has agreed to pay a Camden waterfront neighborhood $6.7 million after a four-alarm fire at its facility temporarily displaced 100 families earlier this year.
EMR will distribute $4.5 million by the end of the year and an additional $450,000 will be paid out annually over the next five years, city officials said Thursday. The blaze broke out at 1400 S. Front St. on Feb. 21, and smoke could bee seen from over 15 miles away.
The company will collaborate with a working group of stakeholders from the Waterfront South neighborhood to invest the funds in Camden schools, housing and neighborhood cleanups. EMR will also establish a text notification system with residents for future emergencies and offer an annual open house for community members.
"Since day one, we’ve demanded accountability and real investment — not just words or promises," Carlos Morales, executive director of neighborhood organization Heart of Camden, said in a statement. "This agreement is a direct result of pressure from the community and from us. It includes serious dollars, serious changes, and is a clear signal that EMR is being held accountable because people refused to stay silent."
Camden officials and EMR said the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery, which can't be recycled at the facility, and was wrongfully delivered and concealed with scrap metal. An incident report from the Camden Fire Department said the flames spread quickly because employees used a conveyor belt to move burning piles, and a limited number of fire hydrants nearby made things difficult for firefighters.
Since the blaze, EMR has pledged to reduce its space in Camden by nine acres, increase inspection of materials being dropped off, limit what it stores on site and reduce the size of its piles. It also said it will install a fire suppression system with heat detection, run four fire drills per year, hold an emergency management planning event and make sure on-site water tanks are accessible by the fire department.
EMR is a U.K.-based recycling operation, and its U.S. headquarters are located in Camden. The February blaze was EMR's sixth fire in less than 10 years at the facility, which has a history of environmental and workplace safety violations, WHYY reported. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection had cited EMR for issues with smoke emissions and air pollution that could be a threat to public health, operating machinery without permits and failing to operate equipment properly.
