Committee releases twin bills to tighten scrapyard fire and pollution rules after Camden fires

The Assembly Environment, Natural Resources and Solid Waste Committee on an unanimously recorded vote released two related proposals aimed at reducing fires and pollution from scrap metal facilities.

The first measure, A2401 as amended in committee, would require scrap metal businesses to install heat-detection equipment, develop fire-safety plans in coordination with local fire officials, maintain prescribed records for fire-code inspections and ensure combustible pile heights do not exceed 55 feet. For any single unprepared metal shredder feedstock stockpile that holds more than 200 tons for a 24‑hour period, the bill would require a remotely operable fire-suppression system designed to extinguish hot spots and prevent reflash. The committee substitute also directs the county enforcing agency to review and approve documentation that must be displayed at the business or on its website.

The second bill, A2406, would remove certain exemptions and require scrap-processing facilities to register and comply with the same operational standards that other recycling centers follow, including stormwater controls, dust containment and minimum operational rules for shredders. Violations would be treated as violations of the Solid Waste Management Act, expanding DEP’s enforcement authority in this sector.

Supporters included residents and environmental advocates from Camden and neighboring communities who described repeated scrapyard fires they blame on a large operator in the Waterfront South neighborhood. Gary Fraser, a Camden community activist, said the neighborhood has seen repeated blazes and urged a much faster implementation timeline than the five‑year phase-in originally proposed. “Our children do not have a five‑year grace period for their lungs,” Fraser said. Several witnesses cited 12 fires at the Camden facility over the past five years and said more immediate action was needed.

Environmental organizations including the Sierra Club and New York–New Jersey Baykeeper urged tightened timelines, mandatory quarterly audits and remote suppression systems to reduce risk to overburdened communities. Taylor McFarland of the Sierra Club called on the committee to move both bills forward, saying the measures would close regulatory gaps and reduce public-health harms.

Industry trade groups and recycling-industry representatives said the bills’ reach should be narrowed to avoid imposing disproportionate costs on small, family‑run yards. Frank Brill of Brill Public Affairs, speaking for the Recycling Materials Association, said many small operators predate modern solid-waste regulations and do not operate large shredder facilities; he said he plans to work with the sponsor’s office on targeted amendments.

Committee members repeatedly asked the sponsor to refine language that differentiates large shredder operations and high‑risk stockpiles from small scrap yards to avoid imposing undue burdens on small businesses while retaining protections for public health and first responders.

The committee recorded a motion to release each bill so the measures can advance with the expectation of further amendment. The sponsor and proponents said they will continue negotiating technical clarifications, including timing for compliance and scope definitions.

What’s next: Both bills were released from committee and will proceed in the legislative process; the sponsor indicated an intent to work on amendments addressing small‑yard exemptions and expedited implementation timelines.