EMR postpones meeting as Camden, New Jersey, residents press for answers after recycling center fire
It's been nearly two weeks since a massive fire at EMR Metal Recycling in Camden, New Jersey, filled nearby homes with smoke and caused 100 people to voluntarily evacuate.
The flames may be out, but the frustration is still boiling over.
"Just really angry because they made promises that this wasn't going to happen again, and it keeps happening again and again and again and it makes me mad," said Hope Mead, who has lived in the city since 2017.
Mead said Feb. 21 was the third time she evacuated because of a fire at EMR, which is a metal recycling facility. Mead is concerned about the smoke and pollution and possible health effects for her and her 2-year-old son.
"We don't even know what is in this smoke that we're breathing in," she said. "It's burnt metal, it's burnt plastic, it's not OK, and it's going to do short-term damage. It makes me feel sick to my stomach."
EMR was set to hold a community meeting Wednesday night, but a notice was sent to homeowners in the afternoon that the meeting was postponed but did not give a reason why.
According to Camden County officials, the fire last month was the sixth fire at EMR since 2016, and the largest.
Felicia Biles told CBS Philadelphia she has chronic breathing problems, and said she can still smell smoke in her home.
"Every time I hear a fire engine I try to see which way it's going, I'm still in a lot of trauma," Biles said.
Other residents complained of headaches and trouble breathing.
Last week, EMR said the fire was sparked by a lithium-ion battery that was wrongly delivered to the facility.
In a statement, the company said, "The site suffered extensive damage and will require significant repairs. EMR continues to work cooperatively with County, City, State and other officials to assess the impacts from the fire.
"We are angered that this happened and deeply regret any inconvenience to our neighbors," the company said.
Mead said she is tired of empty promises over the years and wants to see change.
"I would like to hear they are packing up and moving somewhere else far away from our neighborhood," Mead said.
CBS News Philadelphia asked EMR a number of questions about next steps but was told no comment.
The city sent a notice out Wednesday saying, "The City of Camden has initiated an 'after-action' evaluation to analyze the response to the recent fire and to identify steps that can be taken to prevent future occurrences."
The statement says the city is working with state and local agencies and public health experts "to investigate and fully evaluate the circumstances surrounding the fire at EMR." The city will have a meeting with people who are affected when the investigation is complete, the notice says.