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Camden City Councilmember Arthur Barclay told a room full of residents and advocates Monday evening that the city of Camden plans to revoke a business license held by the embattled scrap metal recycler EMR.
The statement comes days after a two-alarm fire on Friday at the company’s facility along the Delaware River where it shreds old appliances, junk cars, construction materials and other scrap metal into small pieces that can be remelted.
Friday’s fire prompted city, county and state elected officials to call on EMR to fully cease operations in Camden.
More than a dozen fires have occurred at EMR’s facilities in Camden over the last five years, according to a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General earlier this year.
“I stand by my decision in permanently shutting them down,” Barclay said Monday at a community meeting held at the Center for Environmental Transformation, a nonprofit in the Waterfront South neighborhood located just around 2,000 feet from the shredder facility.
“That business license will be revoked tomorrow,” he said.
“Like, tomorrow, tomorrow?” asked resident Kristin Schrum, who lives near the facility.
“Yes,” Barclay said.
Joe Balzano, EMR USA CEO, wrote in a text message Monday evening that the company is currently reviewing its options and considering how best to respond.
“We believe that the decision to revoke our license does not reflect the progress we’ve made or our commitment under our MOU to the community,” he wrote.
Camden, N.J. City Council Vice President Arthur Barclay said that the city was planning to revoke the business license of European Metal Recycling after over a dozen fires in the past 5 years caused outrage in residents at a community meeting at the Center for Environmental Transformation on June 1, 2026. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)