Guest Editorial by Assemblyman William Moen (D-Camden)
Camden City residents can vividly recall the billowing cloud of black smoke that spread across the sky on the evening of February 21, 2025, when a lithium-ion battery sparked a four-alarm fire at a scrap metal facility in Camden’s Waterfront South neighborhood. The fire burned for hours, its smoke visible for miles. One hundred Camden City families voluntarily evacuated their homes, fearful for their safety.
Just months later, on October 11, 2025, a two-alarm fire ignited at a scrap metal facility in Bayonne. This blaze also took hours to subdue. Its smoke extended across Lower Bayonne and into a nearby housing complex. The cause of this fire remains under investigation.
Scrap metal facilities operate in communities across New Jersey, from Sussex County to Cape May. Each is unique and confronts evolving concerns, including the growing presence of lithium-ion batteries. But industry challenges should never be an excuse for New Jerseyans to live in fear for their health, safety, or lives.
Scrap metal facilities accept, process, and transfer a variety of materials, ranging from wires to ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Without proper regulation, a facility’s operations can produce air pollution that threatens the well-being of our communities.
I met with families in Camden who returned to smoke-filled homes after February’s blaze. At the back of their minds was the thought that the air they breathed had been filled with toxins that may have long-term consequences for their health. It is unacceptable for any New Jerseyan to live with that anxiety.
Our state is proud to uphold strong environmental standards that protect our residents and natural resources. It is our responsibility to ensure this level of consideration is extended to communities affected by scrap metal operations.
This past June, the General Assembly passed A5533, a bill I sponsored that would establish requirements for the receipt and purchase of scrap metals containing lithium-ion or propulsion batteries. The bill promotes battery separation and assigns clearer responsibility to scrapyards and their clients. I’m proud it passed with bipartisan support. It’s a critical step forward—but there’s more work to do.
Until January 13, 2026, the State Legislature is in lame duck session. Time is of the essence to pass another piece of critical legislation: A5852. This would bring scrapyards under the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) environmental, safety, and operational standards—the same rules that already apply to other recycling facilities.
Under current law, the DEP is limited in how it can address scrap metal facilities and the risks they pose. A5852 would change that by helping prevent conditions that result in the unsafe discharge of pollution and the risk of fire in the first place. If a scrap metal facility violates DEP regulations, the facility would be held fully accountable under the law.
Passing A5852 and protecting New Jersey residents is my highest priority. We cannot afford to wait to pass this legislation, and we need your support. It is critical to reach out to your state legislators and urge them to support and co-sponsor A5852.
Every New Jerseyan deserves to feel secure in their home and community. A5852 is a driving force that will help ensure this right for every resident across the state. Now is the time to make scrap metal facility hazards a thing of the past. Now is the time to pass A5852 into law.