Province reviewing AIM response to fire report, no timeline for licence decision

The New Brunswick government says American Iron and Metal has submitted its response to a report about the fire at its Saint John scrapyard, but the province has yet to decide whether to revoke the company's licence.

Public Safety Minister Kris Austin gave the Quebec company, known as AIM, until 11:59 p.m. last Friday to respond after the release of a task force report examining the Sept. 14 fire.

On Wednesday, spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane said in an email that the company responded before the deadline and that the minister is reviewing the information. Macfarlane said there's no timeline for a decision.

Austin gave the deadline in a Dec. 8 letter to the company, saying he wanted the response before making a decision on revoking its licence. 

The September fire burned for 40 hours, sending a toxic smoke over the city and requiring 22 million gallons of water to extinguish. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the city.

The task force report released Dec. 5 found the city's fire department wasn't sufficiently equipped to fight the fire, AIM didn't have a proper emergency plan, the scrap piles were more than the six metres prescribed by the National Fire Code of Canada, the operation carried a "significant risk of explosion and fire," and there was a high likelihood of another fire in the future. 

The report also said the location near homes "is entirely inappropriate given its now known hazards and risks."

The company issued a public statement Dec. 6 saying it was reviewing the findings and had commissioned its own reports. 

A request for comment from the company on Wednesday was not immediately answered.

A spokesperson for Port Saint John, which leases land to AIM, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.