The Department of Environmental Protection invites community-based organizations across the state to apply for grants to participate in its annual Youth Inclusion Initiative. The six-week summer program provides young people from eligible communities with training in environmental careers, building a more inclusive workforce and boosting community connections. Local environmental organizations, higher education institutions, and community advocacy or religious groups can now apply for grants that provide up to $100,000 per organization to support the recruitment, supervision, and mentorship of participants aged 16 to 20. Grant details can be accessed at dep.nj.gov/yii/grant/.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a plan to clean up contaminated sediment, soil and industrial waste in Pierson’s Creek, a 1.5-mile waterway that runs through an industrial area in Newark, New Jersey. The proposed plan targets remediation in areas with high levels of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead and other hazardous substances linked to historic industrial operations. This marks the first major phase of cleanup at the superfund site.
“This plan marks major progress in our work to protect human health and clean up a waterway that has long suffered from industrial pollution,” said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “EPA is working hard to Power the Great American Comeback, which includes providing clean water for all Americans. This proposed cleanup plan is designed to reduce risk and help Newark reclaim a healthier environment for future generations.”
EPA’s proposed plan includes the following actions:
Remove contaminated creek sediment:
EPA would excavate and dispose of the top two feet of contaminated sediment along the full length of the creek. In a smaller, highly contaminated area near the upper section of the creek, EPA would remove all impacted sediment.
Install a protective cap:
This involves placing an engineered cap over remaining sediment to prevent exposure and stop contaminants from spreading.
Remove heavily contaminated bank soil:
This would be achieved by fully removing soil along portions of the creek banks that contain oily chemical waste (known as non-aqueous phase liquid or NAPL) from past industrial activity.
Clean enclosed sections of the creek:
EPA would flush out and dispose of contaminated sediment from sections of the creek that flow underground through enclosed pipes and concrete channels.
Restore wetlands and monitor over the long term:
EPA would restore disturbed wetlands by replating native species as needed and conduct long-term monitoring to ensure the cleanup remains protective.
Pierson’s Creek flows beneath Newark Liberty International Airport and the New Jersey Turnpike before emptying into Newark Bay. Contamination in the creek and along its banks comes largely from historical chemical manufacturing activities at nearby properties, including a former facility at One Avenue L. Due to its complexity, EPA is conducting the Pierson’s Creek site cleanup in phases. The current proposed plan focuses on contamination in the creek and along its banks. A separate area at the former chemical manufacturing facility at One Avenue L is still under investigation. EPA expects to propose a cleanup approach for that area in 2027.
EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed plan for 30 days, beginning January 15 and ending February 17. The public may submit written comments to Brandon Holsten, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2890 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837 or by email to Holsten.Brandon@epa.gov.
EPA will also hold a virtual public meeting on January 27 at 6:30 p.m. to provide an overview of the cleanup proposal and answer community questions. To receive the meeting link, please register on the meeting registration page.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today that they have filed a public-nuisance lawsuit against a major scrap metal recycler that seeks to put an end to the hazardous conditions that have led to numerous fires at their facilities since 2020.
The complaint, filed today in Superior Court, alleges that there have been at least 12 hazardous fires in the last five years at facilities in Camden that are owned and operated by defendants EMR Advanced Recycling, LLC, EMR USA Holdings, Inc., EMR Eastern, and Camden Iron & Metal (collectively known as EMR). The fires have filled nearby streets with smoke and air pollution, creating an ongoing public nuisance that has severely harmed the health and well-being of Camden’s residents.
“It is outrageous that EMR has failed to correct the dangerous conditions at its facilities in Camden—conditions that have resulted in over a dozen hazardous fires in recent years that threaten the lives and health of Camden residents. We’re taking action today to hold EMR accountable for its reprehensible conduct and to protect Camden residents,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Companies should never be allowed to turn a quick buck at the expense of their communities—but that’s exactly what EMR has been doing for years in Camden. It’s time to put an end to this unacceptable conduct.”
“Neighbors of EMR should not have to live in fear of the industrial business next door to them, wondering whether the air is safe to breathe and the company values its role in the community as much as its profits,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “The DEP is grateful to Attorney General Platkin and his team for pursuing justice on behalf of the residents of Camden.”
EMR owns and operates metal recycling facilities that collect, process, and recycle scrap metal. It has facilities in the Camden Waterfront South neighborhood, which is an area characterized as an environmentally overburdened community under New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law. These communities have significant low-income, minority, and/or limited English proficiency populations.
One of the most extensive fires at an EMR facility happened in February 2025, when a four-alarm fire started at EMR’s facility located at 1400 South Front Street in Camden. The fire originated from a two-story tall pile of scrap metal material that was waiting to be torn apart into smaller pieces. The fire burned for approximately eight hours before Camden firefighters brought it under control, and it took 12 hours to fully extinguish it.
Altogether, firefighters were on the scene for about 19 hours. Approximately one hundred residents evacuated, and people living nearby reported illnesses and acute symptoms from smoke inhalation, including nausea, headaches, difficulty breathing, burning eyes, and throat irritation.
Another significant fire occurred in the early morning of January 29, 2021. Residents evacuated and a school temporarily closed due to smoke and metallic odors. Five firefighters needed treatment for smoke inhalation, and one firefighter and two residents were hospitalized. Residents complained of odors and smoke in their homes, and they heard explosions coming from the facility.
As the complaint alleges, these fires are the direct result of EMR’s conduct. EMR has maintained hazardous conditions at its facilities, including by maintaining stories-high piles of plastic, glass, dirt, and other discarded material that create a high risk of fires. Even though EMR has known about the risks stemming from its practices, it has failed to take appropriate corrective action—and as a result, there continue to be regular fires at EMR’s facilities, including several fires in recent months.
The complaint explains that EMR has a long history of fires at its facilities across the state. There were at least three fires at another EMR facility previously located in Newark, and at least two fires in scrap metal piles at an EMR Bayonne facility. Similarly, a fire occurred on May 23, 2022, on a barge in the Delaware Bay carrying scrap metal between Defendants’ then facility in Newark and their facility in Camden.
Today’s public nuisance complaint asks the court to order EMR to immediately take action to end the conditions that have led to these fires and that continue to persist, creating chaos and severe health hazards for nearby Camden residents. The complaint asks the court to require EMR to immediately take effective measures to control the risk of fire at its Camden facilities—measures EMR has failed to take.
The State is represented in this matter by Deputy Attorneys General Lisa J. Morelli and Alana V. Paccione in the Environmental Enforcement and Environmental Justice Section within the Division of Law’s Environment and Clean Energy Practice Group under the supervision of Assistant Section Chief Kevin Fleming, Section Chief Gary Wolf, and Deputy Director Paul Stofa.
NOAA Fisheries adjusts the Atlantic bluefin tuna General category January through March 2026 subquota by transferring quota from the General category December 2026 time period to the General category January through March 2026 time period. This action provides further opportunities for General category fishermen to participate in the January through March General category fishery, which began on January 1, 2026.
The resulting adjusted quotas are:
January through March time period subquota = 63.7 mt
December time period subquota = 11.0 mt
Note that NOAA Fisheries intends to take separate rulemaking action as soon as possible in 2026 to consider modifying the baseline Atlantic bluefin tuna quota consistent with the quota adopted at the 2025 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas annual meeting.
Who is affected?
This action applies to Atlantic Tunas General category permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for bluefin tuna.
Believe it or not you can garden in the winter! Please join us for this class and learn all about the process for winter sowing on Saturday, January10th, 2026 at 10 AM. Adult participants will make three seed sowing jugs to jump start their spring gardens. All supplies and seeds provided. Cost is $15.00 per person and takes place at the Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd, Cherry Hill. To learn more, Click Here.
There are days when your body tells you more than your schedule does. You feel foggy. You feel worn down. You sit indoors for hours and realise you have not taken a real breath all day. That is usually the nudge that pushes people outside for a walk or a quiet moment. And when they do, they feel the difference almost instantly.
Time outdoors is not complicated. It is one of the simplest ways to feel better. Yet many people forget how much it helps until they step into fresh air again.
This Friday, December 5, 2025 rain date Friday, December 12, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: Winslow Township Municipal Building, 125 S. Route 73, Braddock NJ 08037
Start off the holiday season at the Winslow Township Tree Lighting Event! Enjoy hot cocoa and cookies, a photo op with Mr. and Mrs. Claus and music as we countdown together for the magical moment of our tree lighting. This event is a perfect way to embrace the spirit of the season with friends and family.
