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Bill

A 2401

Establishes measures to improve safety of scrap metal businesses.*

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Nilsa Cruz-Perez and 1 co-sponsor

A-2401 requires scrap metal businesses to install heat detection, create a fire safety plan with local fire officials, and ensure compliance, with extra suppression and annual cert

Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading on Concurrence
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Bill Summary · A 2401

Summary of Assembly Bill A-2401 (Session 222, New Jersey)

Purpose and intent

A-2401 establishes safety measures for scrap metal businesses to reduce the risk of fires. The bill sets mandatory fire prevention and response requirements, with emphasis on early fire detection, coordinated planning with local fire officials, and specific safeguards for large piles of unprepared metal feedstock.

Key provisions and requirements

  • Fire risk reduction baseline for all scrap metal businesses

    • Install and maintain heat detection equipment capable of detecting incipient fires or potential hot spots.
    • Develop a written fire safety plan in coordination with the local fire department official or fire marshal; the plan must be publicly available upon request.
    • Provide access to records retained under current law to fire code officials investigating a fire at the business.
    • Ensure the pile height of combustible material and/or noncombustible material does not exceed 55 feet.

  • Special requirements for large unprepared metal shredder feedstock stockpiles

    • For scrap metal businesses with an unprepared metal shredder feedstock stockpile totaling over 200 tons in a single 24-hour period, require a remotely operable fire suppression system designed to rapidly extinguish fires and prevent hot spots from flashing into fires (including reflash).
    • System components include:
    • An overhead fire suppression system with water towers and articulating water supply heads, plus related water supply improvements.
    • Monitored heat-detection around piles of at least 500 tons to identify hot spots before ignition.
    • Annual certification by a fire safety engineer, NFPA, and the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety (within the NJ Department of Community Affairs) to ensure compliance with NFPA and state fire prevention standards for the industrial activity.

  • Review and enforcement by local county enforcing agency

    • The county enforcing agency must review and approve in writing, to be displayed conspicuously in the scrap metal business office or on the business’s internet site, that the business:
    • Installed heat detection capable of identifying incipient fires/hot spots.
    • Developed a fire safety plan in coordination with the local fire official or fire marshal.
    • For applicable facilities, met the 200-ton-per-24-hours stockpile threshold requirements.

Who is affected

  • All scrap metal businesses operating in New Jersey.
  • Specifically, facilities with large unprepared metal shredder feedstock stockpiles exceeding 200 tons in any 24-hour period, which trigger additional fire suppression and certification requirements.
  • Local fire officials and county enforcing agencies responsible for review and documentation of compliance.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill outlines a procedural enforcement pathway whereby the county enforcing agency must review and formally approve compliance in writing, with public display of compliance status.
  • Compliance requires ongoing maintenance of heat detection, the written fire safety plan, and, where applicable, the remotely operated fire suppression system and annual certifications.
  • The legislative history shows committee actions in early 2026, with eventual advancement to Senate committees for consideration, indicating a multi-chamber review process typical of New Jersey statutes.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Increased upfront and ongoing costs for scrap metal businesses, especially those with large stockpiles, to install heat detection, fire suppression systems, and to obtain annual certifications.
  • Potential enhancement of fire prevention, quicker detection of hot spots, and improved coordination with local fire departments, potentially reducing fire-related risks and damages.
  • Public access to fire safety plans may improve transparency and community trust.
  • Enforcement depends on local county agencies; consistent statewide application will be important to avoid compliance confusion.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current NJ fire safety/code requirements or draft a plain-language Q&A for facilities planning to comply.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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