New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette have filed a public-nuisance lawsuit against EMR Advanced Recycling, LLC and related companies over repeated hazardous fires at their Camden facilities since 2020.
The lawsuit, submitted in Superior Court, claims that at least 12 fires have occurred at EMR’s Camden sites in the past five years. These incidents reportedly filled surrounding neighborhoods with smoke and air pollution, raising health concerns for local residents.
“It is outrageous that EMR has failed to correct the dangerous conditions at its facilities in Camden—conditions that have resulted in over a dozen hazardous fires in recent years that threaten the lives and health of Camden residents. We’re taking action today to hold EMR accountable for its reprehensible conduct and to protect Camden residents,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Companies should never be allowed to turn a quick buck at the expense of their communities—but that’s exactly what EMR has been doing for years in Camden. It’s time to put an end to this unacceptable conduct.”
“Neighbors of EMR should not have to live in fear of the industrial business next door to them, wondering whether the air is safe to breathe and the company values its role in the community as much as its profits,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “The DEP is grateful to Attorney General Platkin and his team for pursuing justice on behalf of the residents of Camden.”
EMR operates metal recycling plants that collect, process, and recycle scrap metal within the Waterfront South neighborhood—a region identified under New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law as environmentally overburdened due to significant low-income or minority populations.
A major fire took place in February 2025 at EMR’s facility on South Front Street when a two-story pile of scrap ignited. The fire burned for about eight hours before being controlled by firefighters, requiring roughly 19 hours on site overall. Around one hundred people evacuated; many nearby reported symptoms such as nausea, headaches, breathing problems, burning eyes, and throat irritation from smoke exposure.
Another fire occurred on January 29, 2021. Residents were forced out temporarily while a school closed due to heavy smoke and metallic odors. Five firefighters needed treatment for smoke inhalation; one firefighter and two residents were hospitalized.
According to state officials, these fires are linked directly to how EMR manages materials on-site—including large piles of mixed debris—which they allege creates ongoing fire risks despite previous warnings.
The complaint also notes similar incidents at other EMR locations statewide: three fires previously occurred at an old Newark facility; two more happened at a Bayonne location; another incident involved a barge carrying scrap metal between Newark and Camden catching fire on Delaware Bay in May 2022.
State authorities are asking the court for immediate measures requiring EMR to address these hazards effectively after what they describe as repeated failures by the company.
Deputy Attorneys General Lisa J. Morelli and Alana V. Paccione represent New Jersey in this case under supervision from senior staff within the Division of Law’s Environment and Clean Energy Practice Group.
The New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin serves as a state agency responsible for legal enforcement across all counties through divisions focused on law enforcement oversight, consumer protection initiatives, crime lab support, victim advocacy services, legal representation for state interests—and maintains authority throughout New Jersey according to its official website.
