Cleanup To Begin At Mercer Site Destroyed By Fire 3 Years Ago

MERCER COUNTY, NJ - Cleanup will begin in the coming weeks at a Hamilton Township property damaged in a massive fire nearly three years ago, township officials said.

The site at 533 Whitehead Road caught fire on May 2023, requiring 26 firefighting units from 14 municipalities to extinguish the blaze. The property owner, Hakim International Trading, failed to clean up the site following the fire, prompting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the state Attorney General's Office and Hamilton Township to file a lawsuit.

The township is also seeking to recover emergency response costs through the litigation.

Hakim International Trading has completed an initial phase of environmental cleanup that included removal of chemical waste such as high-concentration ethanol hand sanitizer, officials said.

The next phase will involve open-air debris removal, with materials watered down as they are loaded into containers to reduce dust.

"After years of legal hurdles and anticipation, I'm incredibly encouraged to see this cleanup finally moving forward. This property has been an eyesore since May 2023 for our community, and cleaning it is a vital step toward restoring the character of this neighborhood," Mayor Jeff Martin said in a statement. "Our residents deserve a safe and healthy environment, and I'm especially pleased that this effort to bring this site back to life will provide work for our local workforce."

Former Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and former NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced the legal action as part of an initiative to address environmental violations in overburdened communities under New Jersey's Environmental Justice Law.

The complaint seeks to compel cleanup of hazardous materials, including flammable and asbestos-containing waste.

Residents can report environmental concerns to NJDEP through the WARN DEP mobile app, by calling 877-WARN-DEP or by emailing environmentaljustice@dep.nj.gov.

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