Camden City Council approves agreement with EMR to hold the company accountable for scrapyard fire. Residents are not satisfied

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Camden City Council on Tuesday night approved for the city to enter into a memo of understanding with scrapyard operator EMR, despite protests from at least a dozen residents and community members in attendance.

“How dare you put together a document after six months of lying about community engagement and say that this is for the benefit of the community,” said Akilah Chapman, who lives minutes from the facility.

The agreement between the City of Camden and EMR was announced in April after a massive four-alarm fire last February, which prompted the evacuation of more than 100 families from the surrounding neighborhood. The company blamed the fire on lithium-ion batteries that were wrongly delivered to the facility.

What’s in the MOU?

Under the $6.7 million deal, EMR will pay for an improved and enhanced fire suppression system, increase the inspection of materials coming onto its property, participate in at least four fire drills per year and reimburse the city for the equipment that was damaged during February’s fire.

In addition, EMR will vacate its property on South Sixth Street and consolidate their operations at the Ferry Avenue facility, where the fire took place. That will result in the company reducing its footprint by about nine acres, according to the agreement.

Authorization of the memo, which was unanimous, took place a day after a small fire at the scrapyard. The Camden Fire Department responded to a call from EMR, but took no action. The fire was put out by EMR with its existing fire suppression system within 20 minutes, according to city officials.

Community members upset about lack of transparency, resident input

Residents have long had concerns about transparency behind the agreement and they doubt that the city will ever hold EMR accountable. Of the more than 20 people who signed up to address the council during the public comment portion, at least half spoke out against the agreement. They said the deal was rushed and left out community input.

“How much is our health worth to you?” Chapman asked. “You claim that 6.7 million is going to the city, 3 million of that is going to EMR to do things that they should already be doing.”

Rosemari Hicks, owner of the Nuanced Cafe, questioned whether the council read the document before approving. She said she has experience negotiating union contracts, and said she is concerned about the language in the memo draft, which was included in the council agenda.

“There’s no place in this document that speaks to what’s actually being spent,” she said. “The community agreement speaks about a grant and a foundation that’s outside the City of Camden.”

Lashay Harris, another resident, also questioned if there will be a final version of the agreement with community input. She accused the council of ignoring community voices.

“I don’t understand how you all can sit up here time and time again and repeatedly not listen to the voices of those who you say you care for,” she said. “I’m honestly so tired of coming here month after month to see you … looking as if you can care less of what any of us have to say.”

Residents from surrounding communities also attended the meeting to share their concerns and stand in solidarity with Camden residents.

“As a resident of Collingswood, we would never be asked to accept something like this,” said Kate Delany, president of South Jersey Progressive Democrats. “It would never happen in Haddon Township, and it would never happen in Cherry Hill. Every resident of Camden County deserves clean air. It doesn’t matter what municipality we live in.”

As part of the deal, EMR also agrees to invest $1 million into an “essential needs” fund for Waterfront South residents to be managed by the Community Foundation of South Jersey.  An EMR-appointed committee of four people, including the committee chair, the mayor or their designee, the Ward 1 council member or their designee with council consent and two city residents nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the council will oversee the fund.

Council President Angel Fuentes reiterated Tuesday night that the city will hold EMR accountable. He praised Carstarphen for waiting until August to talk to more residents.

“The mayor [has] sent thousands of letters. He had at least two, that I recall, town meetings,” he said. “He also was out there knocking doors talking to residents and keep in mind that residents also had the opportunity to reach out to his office to meet or to talk or to invite.”

Fuentes reiterated that under the agreement, EMR has to respond to the City Council on a yearly basis. He also said he along with his council colleagues including Council Vice President Arthur Barclay, will take the community’s concerns to the mayor.

“It is going to be ongoing,” he said. “I just hope and pray that we have learned and hold everyone accountable.”

Councilwoman Sheila Davis was absent from the meeting and Barclay, who represents the ward where the scrapyard is located, participated by phone due to medical reasons.