A United Kingdom recycling company with a troubled history agreed Thursday to pay a Camden waterfront neighborhood $6.7 million after a fire at its facility temporarily displaced 100 families in February.
EMR, based in Warrington, England, will distribute $4.5 million by the end of the year and an additional $450,000 will be paid out annually over the next five years, city officials said. The fire erupted at 1400 So. Front St. on Feb. 21.
Under terms of the agreement that were negotiated by Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, EMR will work with a group of stakeholders from the Waterfront South neighborhood to provide funds for schools, housing, families, and neighborhood improvements. The money will go toward space for medical care, neighborhood cleanups, a text notification system for residents, and an annual open house with community leaders.
“The agreement that my administration negotiated on behalf of the residents of waterfront south and the other adjacent neighborhoods provides meaningful compensation to the city’s waterfront south community, helps to safeguard against the threat of fire and outlines meaningful changes at its location,” said Camden Mayor Victor G. Carstarphen, in a statement.
“The February fire was a wake-up call. It forced more than 100 families out of their homes and put our entire neighborhood at risk,” said Carlos Morales, executive director of the Heart of Camden in the waterfront south neighborhood. “Since day one, we’ve demanded accountability and real investment—not just words or promises. This agreement is a direct result of pressure from the community and from us.”
A Philadelphia Inquirer story said Camden officials and EMR believe the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery, which can’t be recycled at the facility, and was not supposed to be delivered at the site and was concealed with scrap metal.
Various reports said EMR plans to reduce its space in Camden by 9 acres, increase inspections of material brought to the facility, and limit material stored on site. EMR has a 100-acre footprint in Camden.
Joseph Balzano, the CEO of EMR USA, said the agreement “strengthens our commitment to the waterfront south neighborhood and underscores my dedication to keeping our site safe,” Balzano said. “This is a long-term agreement in partnership with the city to deliver positive change to residents of Camden who were adversely impacted by the fire on Feb. 21.”
The February blaze was EMR’s sixth fire in less than 10 years at the facility, which has a history of environmental and workplace safety violations, WHYY reported. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has cited EMR’s Waterfront South sites for various violations in recent years such as emitting smoke and air pollutants that could have posed a “potential threat” to public health.
