Propane Tank Explodes At Brick Recycling Center: Police

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article referred to the employees of the recycling center as public works employees. The Brick Recycling Center is privately owned and the article has been updated to reflect that information.

BRICK, NJ — An employee cutting up propane tanks cut into one that still had gas into and set off an explosion that shook houses and was heard for several miles, Brick police and witnesses said.

Brick Patrolman Michael Miller was on patrol near Drum Point Road and Woodland Drive when he heard what sounded like a loud explosion, Capt. Vincent Pacitti said.

Two minutes later, Brick's police department dispatchers reported to Miller that they were deluged with calls in reference to a loud explosion, Pacitti said.

Miller went to the Brick Recycling Center, a privately owned facility off Old Hooper Avenue, where he met with the yard manager, Simon Jurcic, Pacitti said.

Jurcic told Miller the noise came from the recycling yard and was caused when an employee was using “shears” — a metal cutting claw that mounts onto the arm of an excavator — to cut up propane tanks, he said.

The employee mistakenly cut a tank that was not empty, resulting in the tank exploding, Pacitti said.

There were no injuries or property damage from the explosion, he said

Jurcic said the area at the recycling center where tanks are cut up is surrounded by steel specifically to prevent injury from a situation such as this, Pacitti said.

Fire Inspector Kevin Batzel responded and will be conducting an investigation.