Overview
- Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the state DEP filed the civil case in Camden Superior Court, alleging unsafe operations at EMR created an ongoing public nuisance.
- The complaint cites at least 12 major fires over five years that sent smoke through nearby blocks and contributed to respiratory illnesses and repeated evacuations.
- A four-alarm blaze on Feb. 21, 2025 was tied to a lithium-ion battery and prompted voluntary evacuation of about 100 families, later leading to a $6.7 million agreement for neighborhood improvements.
- The state seeks court-ordered steps including continuous surveillance and monitoring, watering and lowering scrap piles, outside engineering reviews, real-time reporting, and immediate DEP notification.
- EMR says it has invested in fire suppression under an August memorandum with Camden, calls lithium-ion battery fires a nationwide recycling challenge, and notes it employs more than 500 people in the city.