South Camden residents demand change from EMR after scrapyard fire

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People living near the EMR metal recycling complex in South Camden, the site of a massive fire last month, are demanding change from the facility and local elected officials.

A handful of Waterfront South residents gathered outside the sewage treatment plant next to the scrapyard and at EMR’s U.S. headquarters in Camden Tuesday morning, calling on the company to answer their questions, take better health and safety precautions and even move its metal recycling facility out of the neighborhood.

“We’re tired of them ignoring us,” said Aliyia Jones, a resident who lives less than 2,000 feet away from EMR’s fenceline and organized Tuesday’s rally. She has asthma and experienced trouble breathing after evacuating her family during the fire last month. “I want them to relocate,” she said.

The four-alarm fire at EMR sent dark smoke billowing over the neighborhood — causing roughly 100 people to evacuate their homes. It sparked fears about lingering contamination and health impacts in the neighborhood.

The fire could have caused a sewage crisis in the county if it had knocked out power at the neighboring Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority treatment plant, an official with the authority said.

The fire was the facility’s sixth since 2016, according to Camden County officials.

The company also has a history of environmental violations in Camden. First responders during last month’s fire claimed employees’ actions initially helped the fire spread.

The company says the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery wrongly sent to the facility. It’s calling for more regulation of these batteries and has said it deeply regrets any inconvenience the fire caused to its neighbors.

But nearby resident Betty Musetto said past consequences for the company — including a penalty of $7,600 from the state Department of Environmental Protection after the company agreed to settle violations for two past fires — have not been enough. She wants to see the facility move out of the Waterfront South neighborhood.

“There have been way too many fires at EMR,” Musetto said. “Nothing’s been done.”

Kristen Schrum, a parent of two 3-year-olds and former teacher at Sacred Heart School in the neighborhood, has evacuated her home near EMR three times because of fires.

“We’re tired of it,” Schrum said. “We are tired of having to worry about what the weird smells are every time it smells like burned plastic or something out of our house. I’m tired of having to evacuate classrooms of children from school.”

Jones said that after a recent public meeting with EMR was canceled, she’s left to wonder what burned and whether the company has a new evacuation plan. She said local elected officials are failing to be transparent, to adequately hold EMR accountable and to stand up for residents.

“I am so sad and distraught,” she said.

Vida Neil, a resident of Collingswood who grew up in Camden, worries officials are pushing off meetings in hopes that residents will stop demanding change.

“This is an environmental disaster,” Neil said. “Under these conditions, we know that this is going to continue.”