Hundreds of jobs at risk as N.J. scrapyard fights to reopen after suspension

Metal Recycling News  |  2026-06-17 05:14:24   |   By

New Jersey sued the company last year, demanding the company take stronger measures to prevent fires. That case is ongoing.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The owner of a Camden recycling plant is suing to reopen the facility after officials suspended its license, in a legal battle unfolding as residents seek damages over years of fires and pollution.

Eastern Metal Recycling filed a lawsuit in Camden County Superior Court on Monday to overturn the city’s suspension of the plant, which sits on the bank of the Delaware River in an industrial zone.

Camden officials banned Eastern Metal Recycling from processing newly collected metal on June 4, less than a week after a lithium-ion battery reportedly sparked a two-alarm fire on the property.

Firefighters battled the blaze for about three hours, which led to new calls from Camden officials for the site to be shut down permanently.

Eastern Metal Recycling is asking a judge to lift what it calls a “groundless” suspension that has cost the company nearly $10 million. The U.K.-based company also argues it was not given adequate notice before the city issued its cease-and-desist order.

Hundreds of workers, many of them Camden residents, could be laid off if the facility does not reopen soon, according to the company’s lawsuit.

Camden has yet to formally respond to the lawsuit, court records show. A spokesperson for Camden declined to comment when reached by NJ.com.

Eastern Metal Recycling’s push to restart operations comes as it faces a class-action lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court on May 28, one day before the fire that shut it down.

Three residents are leading the suit, Sandra Wiles, Christine Wallace and Deandra Smith. They are seeking an award of $5 million in damages, alleging that the plant frequently releases smoke, soot and potent odors into the surrounding neighborhood.

To block odors from entering their homes, the residents have purchased air purifiers and new windows.

One resident claimed to have stayed at a hotel for days to avoid the smell. Another claimed to have stayed with a relative until conditions improved.

The allegations echo other complaints from Camden residents, many of whom have attributed nausea, headaches and irritated throats to the fires.

The class-action lawsuit isn’t the only legal trouble EMR faces over its Camden plant.

New Jersey sued the company last year, demanding the company take stronger measures to prevent fires. That case is ongoing.

Before the plant was suspended, Camden urged New Jersey officials to shut it down permanently, citing public health concerns stemming from 12 fires over the past five years.

One of those was a massive blaze in February 2025 that forced about 100 residents to evacuate as a large plume of smoke drifted over the city.

Eastern Metal Recycling has taken steps to address safety concerns.

In 2025, the company reached a $6.7 million agreement with Camden to improve fire prevention measures, including installing a fire suppression system and scaling back operations on part of the site. Under the terms, the company also agreed to reduce the property’s size by nine acres.

The suspension follows protests by roughly 100 workers, many of them members of Teamsters Local 676, who have rallied against the city’s push to shut down the facility.

An EMR spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Courtesy: www.nj.com