Company Behind Massive Junkyard Fire In Camden Agrees To Pay Millions

CAMDEN, NJ — The company that owns the site of a massive Camden junkyard fire that displaced over 100 families has agreed to pay millions to the city and impacted neighborhoods, officials announced Friday.

On Feb. 21, a four-alarm fire at the EMR recycling facility, sending a thick cloud of black smoke could be seen from more than 15 miles away.

EMR, a scrap metal recycler, reached an agreement with city officials to pay $6.7 million. Funds will benefit residents in the waterfront south neighborhood and surrounding communities while improving the fire-suppression system at the company's facility, according to Mayor Victor Carstarphen.

Per the outlined agreement, EMR will dole out $4.5 million this calendar year and $450,000 in each of the next five years.

The agreement will be memorialized in writing within the next 45 days, officials said.

"I can assure our residents that EMR will be held to these commitments, and we can all agree that we need to eliminate fires from this site," Carstarphen said in a statement.

EMR will reduce its overall footprint by 9 acres, increase inspections of materials brought to the site, limit material stored at the facility and lower the height of shredding piles.

The company will also install aerial fire-suppression systems, including heat-detection cameras that immediately identify and focus cooling water jets on potential hot spots, according to Carstarphen's administration.

Jospeh 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. 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."