Camden Residents Are Forced to Live With The Problem of Lithium-Ion Fires
Graphic by Habib Salami.
PRESSING FORWARD
BY RANN MILLER | Pressing Forward
Another fire broke out on the premises of EMR in Camden late Monday night to early Tuesday morning, likely due to the combustion of lithium-ion batteries. This incident follows a massive fire in February on the company’s premises, also caused by the same issue.
The Camden City Council met on Tuesday evening to approve the $6.7 million agreement, precipitated by the February fire, much to the dismay of protesting residents and community allies throughout the region, who cite a lack of community voice and government transparency regarding the deal.
Of the $6.7 million in the deal only $3,250,000 is going to city residents. The decision on how the money is spent will be determined by a committee, per the MOU between EMR and Camden City made up of two (2) city government representatives, two (2) city residents selected by the mayor, and four (4) representatives of EMR.
For protesting residents, the lack of transparency and conflict of interest aside, this deal doesn’t address the core issue: the existence of the scrapyard itself. EMR promises to install more robust fire detection systems and enhance firefighting capabilities.
However, these improvements are unlikely to prevent future fires from occurring, and any fire poses environmental and health threats to Camden residents. Therefore, the only solution to prevent these fires from happening is to remove the scrapyard.
The disposal of these batteries can also be problematic, as they contain toxic chemicals that can leach into the soil and water, causing harm to both wildlife and humans. The burning of these batteries in landfills like the scrapyard at EMR poses long-term neurological issues, systemic toxicity, and respiratory issues, such as lung cancer and asthma.
Asthma is a disproportionate killer of Black and Latino/a/e children in New Jersey, a disproportionate killer of Black people overall statewide, and children in Camden City display higher rates of asthma in the state, as do other cities with predominant Black and Latino/a/e populations. In fact, the Philadelphia metropolitan area, of which Camden City is part, is the 5th-worst metro area nationally for living with asthma. … all because of systemic racism.
The results are devastating for youth in these cities, particularly in terms of their education, with consequences including lower academic performance, absenteeism, and diminished physical activity.
Camden City (and the county) already deals with poor air quality, which is largely due to the garbage incinerator. The placement of such toxic facilities in places like Camden is due to, you guessed it, systemic racism.
With that said, again, the best thing to do is to remove the scrapyard altogether. But politics are involved, rendering the apparent solution of removal null and void. The politics are that EMR, the mayor, and members of the city council are part of the party machine under the authority of George Norcross. Removing EMR or its scrapyard isn’t part of the plan.
EMR received a $133 million tax incentive for relocating to Camden, according to a Pro Publica report, when it was a client of George Norcross, Philip Norcross’s law and lobbying firms.
Mayor Carstarphen, Council President Angel Fuentes, and Councilman Arthur Barclay—who represents the ward residents impacted by the fires—are all party machine candidates; Fuentes and Barclay have accepted campaign donations from EMR, according to South Jersey Progressive Democrats.
Again, politics are involved.
To EMR CEO Joseph Balzano’s credit, EMR employs more city residents than other corporations that’ve received tax breaks, is a second-chance employer for ex-criminal offenders, and is considering funding a family physician and a delivery service to residents in need of household goods free of charge.
He’s quoted as saying, “I just want the people, the residents, to benefit from what we do.”
Unfortunately, the answer for Black and Latino/a/es is constantly providing them with items and services to help them live with injustice, rather than simply ridding it. Because profits over people.
This is the nature of modern racial capitalism: political and economic decisions that reinforce both exploitation and repression of the people, highlighting the inextricable links between race, class, and power. And yet, policymakers and power brokers alike peddle dispirited “solutions” while making it a challenge for residents to vote their way out of the oppression.
But when does “Camden Rising” mean pollution rising in the air for residents to have to breathe? When will more rise than corporate profits, while providing people with tools to manage their oppression rather than the tools to liberate themselves from it? I suppose what’s meant to rise is only smoke.
Follow Us Today On:
Note from AC JosepH Media: If you like this story and others posted on Front Runner New Jersey.com, lend us a hand so we can keep producing articles like these for New Jersey and the world to see. Click on SUPPORT FRNJ and make a contribution that will go directly in making more stories like this available. Thank you for reading!
About Author
