Scrap metal fire on Delaware River barge now under control, officials say
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency assisted the Coast Guard in its response.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The scrap metal fire that ignited on an unmanned barge in the Delaware Bay and sent black plumes of smoke into the air early Tuesday morning is now under control, according to officials with Delaware’s Department of Emergency Management. No injuries occurred, and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The barge is owned by the Camden, New Jersey-based scrap metal company EMR. The cargo originated in Bayonne, New Jersey, and plans are in place to tow the salvaged metal from its current anchorage in the Delaware Bay about 2 miles off of Maurice River Cove to the EMR scrap yard along the Delaware River waterfront.
The state of New Jersey sued EMR in January for violations related to 12 hazardous scrap yard fires that occurred over the past five years.
On Tuesday afternoon, the burning barge was towed to an anchorage on the New Jersey side of the bay to remove it from the main ship channel, according to the Coast Guard.
Once the Coast Guard ensures the vessel is stable, it will travel north to the EMR facility in Camden to offload its cargo of salvage metal.
Scrap metal burned for more than 24 hours
Firefighting efforts lasted more than 24 hours until Wednesday morning when thermal imagery showed the fire extinguished, according to the Coast Guard’s Petty Officer First Class Matthew West.
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency assisted the Coast Guard in its response.
“Multiple fire companies worked diligently to extinguish the fire, while state agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard coordinated resources to support response operations and minimize impacts to federal waterways, coastal communities, and the surrounding environment,” according to a statement by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.
It remains unclear what exactly was burning or what was released into the atmosphere from the scrap metal, but it was likely “a very toxic mix,” according to Jane Clougherty, professor of environmental and occupational health at Drexel University.
“Remember that because this is scrap metal, it’s from an earlier era, potentially, when a lot of lead was used, both in metals and in the paints on those metals,” Clougherty said.
Courtesy: www.whyy.org