DUI Lawyers in Camden, NJ

The Camden City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday evening that regulates the handling of lithium-ion batteries. Its passage comes nearly two months after a massive fire at EMR, a recycling complex in South Camden. “The storage or disposal of lithium-ion batteries” was blamed for the blaze.

Under the ordinance, reconditioned batteries must be certified by “Underwriters Laboratories or other approved and certified organizations.” Batteries for a powered mobility device, such as a scooter, cannot be stored in a multifamily unit for recharging unless it has been approved by the fire department. This is also applicable to mobility devices with a self-contained battery. The new law dictates proper disposal locations for the batteries.

Those who violate the new ordinance will be subject to the general penalties within Camden’s city code: a fine of up to $2,000, up to 90 days in jail or community service for up to 90 days.

The ordinance was proposed by Council Vice President Arthur Barclay, who declined to comment on this story.

Residents and community members who spoke on the bill during the public comment section of the council meeting were critical that the bill did not address complaints about the EMR metal recycling complex.

The February fire

The Feb. 22 fire caused 100 residents to evacuate their homes. The scrapyard has a history of violations, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. EMR blamed the fire on lithium-ion batteries that were wrongly delivered to the facility and called for more regulation of these batteries.

An incident report from the Camden Fire Department, obtained by WHYY News, indicates the fire was made worse by EMR employees who moved burning material to other piles and onto a conveyor belt that led into a building.

Residents seeking a change after the fire brought their demands and complaints about EMR to the council meeting. They were skeptical that the bill would hold the scrapyard company accountable for the fire.

“Something like this should have been passed in 2021-2022 when we had to first evacuate our homes from a fire that they immediately blamed on these lithium batteries,” said Kristin Schrun, who lives within a five-minute walk from the scrapyard.

She said the ordinance was “a Band-Aid” that was “fine enough,” adding that she has witnessed every fire at the scrapyard and has had to evacuate with her kids three different times.

“I have to avoid conversations with my mom about the fires so she doesn’t ask me again why I live where I do,” she said. “I live there because I love my neighbors, I love the city, but I do not love what EMR is doing to us.”

Questioning the value of the new ordinance

Jon Compton, executive director of the Center for Environmental Transformation, which is based near the scrapyard, said he could not see how the ordinance will hold EMR accountable or force them to improve their operations to make their neighbors safe.

“They already do not accept lithium-ion batteries,” he said. “They have not faced significant fines. They have not had their operations curtailed in a meaningful way.”

Frank Santos, who is part of a community coalition that encouraged people to address the council, told the council they were helping EMR “build a narrative around lithium-ion batteries.”

“Blaming these batteries for being the main problem behind these consistent fires is like the chef blaming the stove for burning the food,” he said.

Vincent Basara, Camden city spokesman, said the ordinance is a step in the right direction.

“There is still more work to do on this issue, but the city remains committed to working with the state and all involved to make improvements,” he said. “The municipalities generally have limited powers, and those powers to regulate are largely derived from the state.”

Energy & Environment

Camden metal recycler whose fire caused evacuations had a history of violations

We’re in this together.For a better-informed future.

Support our nonprofit newsroom.

Donate to NJ Spotlight News Subscribe to our newsletter

CAMDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT CAMDEN NJ CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATION EMR EMR FIRES EMR METAL RECYCLING EMR SCRAPYARD LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES LITHIUM-ION BATTERY DISPOSAL

Robert Jackson connected with the Camden Coalition in 2016, chronically homeless and, as he described himself, “near Death’s door.” Within months, the longtime construction worker was stably housed in Vorhees, with a doctor to treat his chronic conditions and access to social care services. Robert’s lease on life was renewed, and his gratitude was greatest for a simple amenity: When it rained, he had somewhere dry and warm to stay.

Robert’s story is inspirational, but it’s not miraculous. It’s the standard result of care provided by the Camden Coalition’s Housing First program, which provides housing support and wraparound services for New Jersey residents with complex health and social needs experiencing chronic homelessness.

We are currently supporting another 49 participants with situations like Robert’s, each with successes that would not have been achievable without housing support — and each now at risk of losing their stable housing due to loss of funding.

Gov. Murphy’s proposed state budget for the 2026 fiscal year has been finalized, and for the first time in seven years, it does not include funding for the Housing First program. As a leading nonprofit health and social care provider, the Camden Coalition understands that there is an ever-growing list of qualified and vital programs that require the state’s support. Annually, New Jersey state departments and the governor have difficult choices to make with the budget. But given the uncertain future of federal support for affordable housing programs, we are especially disappointed with this decision.

Now, the ball is in the Legislature’s court to debate and amend Gov. Murphy’s budget to align with its priorities and pass a final budget by the end of June. Assembly Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald and Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez have already agreed to champion restoring this Housing First funding into the final budget. We are grateful for their early and continued support, and we urge their legislative colleagues to vote to restore this critical funding for New Jersey residents as well.

Almost all the participants in our Housing First program from the last decade have a history of chronic homelessness and complex health and social needs. Nearly two-thirds of our current participants have both a mental health and substance use diagnosis. More than half have at least two chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease, that necessitate continued care. One in five have more than four chronic diseases.

Through our partnership with a half-dozen regional community care providers, our team of community health workers, licensed social workers, registered nurses and consulting physicians have provided this high-risk population with wraparound services that go well beyond stable housing, including help to start or return to treatment for a substance use disorder or mental health issue, learning the skills necessary to remain housed, help finding employment or volunteer and advocacy work, and much more.

Among the 95 individuals who have participated in Housing First, more than 80% have not returned to homelessness. They have also experienced, on average, a 71% decrease in emergency department visits and a one-third drop in hospital admissions. The current cohort of 50 Housing First participants have been housed for an average of five consecutive years each — with improved access to physical and behavioral health care, legal assistance, social programs, and landlord supports.

This is all being done for $15,500 per participant annually. Contrast that with the average annual cost of $130,000 for long-term care facilities, or even the $66,000 per year cost of incarceration — an outcome our cohort would be at a greater risk for due to the increasing criminalization of homelessness.

If these individuals are at risk of hospitalization or criminalization because the effective, low-cost support services that help them remain stably housed are compromised, then these preventable, negative outcomes will be significantly more costly to the government and taxpayers and detrimental to our communities. We are providing an effective, evidenced, and robust program on a budget a fraction of the cost of its alternatives.

We urge South Jersey residents to call their state assemblyperson and senator to express their support for fully funding these vital Housing First services.

For the sake of the four walls, a roof, and the key services that have kept Robert and many more New Jerseyans out of the rain, we need the support of our state’s leaders now more than ever.

Subscribe to NJ Spotlight News

Today's Spotlight Weekly Editor's Picks

CAMDEN COALITION HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS HOUSING FIRST HOUSING FIRST PROGRAM NJ BUDGET NJ STATE FUNDING PHIL MURPHY

Click here for important updates to our privacy policy.

OPINION

3-minute read

Last month, a fire broke out at the EMR facility in South Camden, causing tremendous disruption, concern and anger throughout our city. I share these sentiments and believe that this incident affords EMR an opportunity to work with the community we have called home for generations to prevent something like this from happening again.

The fire was sparked by a lithium-ion battery that was wrongly delivered to our facility. Lithium batteries, which are used in items ranging from electronics and toys to appliances and electric vehicles, are deeply flammable and pose a toxic risk when not recycled properly. That is why EMR prohibits them at our facility.

At the end of their life-cycle, most lithium-ion batteries are classified as hazardous waste, which is why they need to be recycled in very specific ways. We ban their disposal at our Camden facility but it should not come as a shock that someone mistakenly delivered it to us last month. Yet neither the state of New Jersey nor the federal government does a good job of educating consumers about these batteries or of regulating their disposal. This is the chain of events that led to a massive fire that consumed part of our facility and has led to the anger that we all feel as a result.

What does the EPA say about lithium-ion batteries?

The Environmental Protection Agency cautions that “batteries and devices containing these batteries should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. They can cause fires during transport or at landfills and recyclers.” Yet neither the EPA nor the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection does enough to educate the public about proper lithium-ion battery disposal. The end result should have been apparent to anyone who has studied the composition of these batteries: they are a hazard to any facility that has the misfortune of receiving one in error. On Feb. 21, that facility was EMR.

The use of these batteries is projected to grow by more than 2,000 percent between 2015 and 2030 as more electric passenger and commercial vehicles come online. As a company dedicated to renewable energy that saves almost 16 million tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere annually, we at EMR understand that the increased use of these batteries is a huge net positive for our environment. But it is also critical that our elected officials recognize that these batteries pose a risk if they are not properly recycled. They cannot just assume that consumers will know how to do that responsibly. Unless the government steps up with greater oversight, more incidents like this will occur.

How will we protect our Camden neighbors?

There are several steps that EMR is taking to protect our own neighbors. First, we will work with our community to raise awareness about the proper disposal of lithium-ion batteries. EMR will also increase audits of incoming materials to our facility to identify prohibited items before they pose a threat.

Going forward, EMR will upgrade its on-site fire suppression system so that it can be remotely operated in the event of an emergency. We are deeply grateful to the first responders who worked tirelessly to extinguish the fire before it could spread further. To ease their burden, we will place trained professionals in our facility to stop fires before they start.

We are doing all this because we care deeply about this community, which my family has called home for generations. Yet we cannot do it alone. Both the state of the New Jersey and the federal government must step up to prevent our neighbors and everyone across the state from dealing with more battery-generated fires by providing the education and training necessary to ensure that we mitigate these incidents before they occur.

Joe Balzano is the CEO of EMR USA, which is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.

A house in Camden that sold for $225,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Camden area in the past week.

In total, 27 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $117,222. The average price per square foot was $89.

The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Feb. 24 even if the property may have been sold earlier.

10. $125K, single-family residence at 25 N. 28th Street

The property at 25 N. 28th Street in Camden has new owners. The price was $125,000. The house was built in 1925 and has a living area of 1,054 square feet. The price per square foot is $119. The deal was finalized on Feb. 5.

9. $140K, single-family house at 1586 Park Blvd.

The sale of the single-family home at 1586 Park Blvd., Camden, has been finalized. The price was $140,000, and the house changed hands in February. The house was built in 1940 and has a living area of 1,184 square feet. The price per square foot was $118. The deal was finalized on Feb. 10.

8. $145K, single-family home at 1034 Liberty Street

The 1,552 square-foot single-family residence at 1034 Liberty Street in Camden has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in February and the total purchase price was $145,000, $93 per square foot. The house was built in 1900. The deal was finalized on Feb. 7.

7. $150K, single-family home at 1486 Louis Street

The 1,145 square-foot single-family residence at 1486 Louis Street, Camden, has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in February and the total purchase price was $150,000, $131 per square foot. The house was built in 1900. The deal was finalized on Feb. 3.

6. $170K, single-family house at 1213 Decatur Street

The sale of the single family residence at 1213 Decatur Street in Camden has been finalized. The price was $170,000, and the new owners took over the house in February. The house was built in 1918 and has a living area of 834 square feet. The price per square foot was $204. The deal was finalized on Feb. 3.

5. $177K, single-family residence at 1111 Mechanic Street

The property at 1111 Mechanic Street in Camden has new owners. The price was $177,000. The house was built in 1900 and has a living area of 1,429 square feet. The price per square foot is $124. The deal was finalized on Feb. 11.

4. $190K, single-family house at 445 Royden Street

A sale has been finalized for the detached house at 445 Royden Street in Camden. The price was $190,000 and the new owners took over the house in February. The house was built in 1900 and the living area totals 1,280 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $148. The deal was finalized on Feb. 4.

3. $192K, single-family home at 379 Rand Street

The property at 379 Rand Street in Camden has new owners. The price was $192,000. The house was built in 1942 and has a living area of 1,152 square feet. The price per square foot is $167. The deal was finalized on Feb. 6.

2. $197K, single-family residence at 1384 Haddon Ave.

The sale of the single-family house at 1384 Haddon Ave., Camden, has been finalized. The price was $197,000, and the new owners took over the house in February. The house was built in 1920 and has a living area of 1,173 square feet. The price per square foot was $168. The deal was finalized on Feb. 5.

1. $225K, single-family house at 1551 Norris Street

The 1,352 square-foot detached house at 1551 Norris Street in Camden has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in February and the total purchase price was $225,000, $166 per square foot. The house was built in 1914. The deal was finalized on Feb. 7.

Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The city of Camden is cracking down on the fire hazard of lithium-ion batteries just two weeks after a difficult-to-fight blaze at the EMR scrapyard sent heavy smoke over its neighborhoods.

“The city of Camden has experienced a devastating fire within the city that has been at least partially attributed to the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries,” according to a new city law scheduled to be introduced at next Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

“Failure to properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries creates undue risks to the city and its residents and undermines the health and welfare of our residents,” the proposed ordinance states.

Sign Up for FREE Camden Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

The law, introduced by Council member Arthur Barclay, sets standards for the sale, use, storage and disposal of the batteries, which reportedly played a role in the latest fire in the EMR scrapyard that caused the February 21 evacuation of about 100 neighborhood residents.

At the time, Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said the four-alarm fire was unacceptable and “can never happen again at EMR, and we are going to ensure that it never does.”

Cappelli said one issue with the latest fire was the disposal of lithium-ion batteries in the scrapyard of the type that “burn hot and continue to cause fires throughout the nation.”

“Lithium-ion battery-powered devices — like cell phones, laptops, toothbrushes, power tools, electric vehicles and scooters — are everywhere,” according to the Fire Safety Research Institute, part of UL Research Institutes.

“Despite their many advantages, lithium-ion batteries have the potential to overheat, catch fire, and cause explosions,” the institute warns.

A law similar to Camden's was adopted by the Hoboken City Council last month governing how and where lithium-ion batteries are sold and stored.

Among the requirements of the proposed Camden law, lithium-ion batteries may not be stored or recharged in a business or multifamily residential complex unless the Camden Fire Department or other city department has approved.

Proper disposal of the batteries includes only battery recycling programs and other electronic or hazardous waste disposal venues, the law states.

“No owner or operator at any recycling center shall knowingly dispose of a lithium-ion battery or powered mobility device with a self-contained battery case,” the law notes.

Find TAPinto Camden on Facebook.