New Jersey sues recycling company after multiple scrapyard fires in Camden fill neighborhood with smoke

New Jersey is suing a recycling company over a series of fires at scrap metal yards in Camden. 

State officials say there have been at least 12 major fires over the past five years at EMR Advanced Recycling facilities and argue that the unsafe conditions are a nuisance that's affecting public health. 

In the lawsuit filed by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette against the company, the state says smoke that filled nearby blocks during the fires has caused residents in the area to suffer from acute respiratory illnesses. 

Officials want the court to order EMR to better control the risk of fires, including by adding more surveillance, watering piles of metal, reducing the height of scrap piles and hiring an outside consultant or engineer to evaluate the operation and make recommendations. 

A fire at an EMR junkyard in Camden in February 2025 burned for more than six hours. No injuries were reported, but dozens of residents evacuated because of the smoke and air quality concerns. The company later said a lithium-ion battery mistakenly brought to the facility likely caused the fire.

The Sacred Heart School in the Waterfront South neighborhood had to evacuate and close because of smoke and metallic odors from a fire in 2021, and more than 30 families evacuated from their homes, the lawsuit claims. A firefighter and two residents were hospitalized for smoke inhalation in that fire, it says.

At a meeting about the fires in October 2025, residents said the evacuations and other concerns were taking a toll on the community.

"These fires … have caused really harmful effects for the residents in Camden — health issues, odor, have to evacuate — so our hope is with this lawsuit is that EMR finally addresses the harms that they've caused, they take precautions necessary to prevent these fires from occurring, and they put the residents' safety ahead of their profits," Platkin said in an interview with CBS News Philadelphia.

Platkin, who leaves office later this month, said he's "working right up until the very last minute" to protect residents.

EMR owns and operates metal recycling facilities that collect, process and recycle scrap metal in the Camden Waterfront South neighborhood and elsewhere. The complaint argues that the fires are the result of risky and hazardous conditions at EMR facilities.

In a statement, EMR said it's working with the city to improve fire suppression at its facilities. In a statement, the company said:

In August, after months of working cooperatively, the City of Camden and EMR entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to provide a comprehensive framework for fire suppression at our Camden shredder at a cost of $6.7 million. It appears the current Attorney General is not aware of the MOU and EMR's fire suppression investments. We look forward to working with the State of New Jersey to address the scourge of lithium ion battery fires plaguing recycling facilities throughout the country. More than 500 people work for EMR in Camden including 150 Camden residents. The safety of our employees and the Camden community residents is our number one priority.

Under the state's Environmental Justice and Nuisance enforcement, EMR has 10 days to respond to the allegations and to confer with the state about how it will address the violations and conditions. Platkin said he knew about the company's agreement with Camden.

Residents feel the effects of repeated fires

Aliyia Jones never wanted to leave her Camden Waterfront neighborhood, but now her life is packed into boxes, and she says she has no choice.

"You're living on a fixed income. It's really hard when you know you're going to leave the community of people here," Jones said. 

Jones said she's moving "because of EMR." The string of fires at the company's Camden scrapyard have taken a toll. 

"I'm traumatized enough, hearing the fire trucks, the loud bangs, the weird smells, it's been enough for me," Jones said. 

Some neighbors said this lawsuit brings them hope. 

"For someone to finally represent us and do something like that is a relief," Celeste Rodriguez said. 

But Jones still feels defeated. 

"I don't trust any officials," she said. "I don't trust anything is going to work out."

Jones shared this message for EMR: "Stop environmental injustice. Please. We are people."