Saint John port fire report raises alarm over Moncton scrapyard
Minister says inspections of scrapyards in the province taking place
A scathing report on the fire at American Iron and Metal's Saint John location has prompted fresh concerns about the company's Moncton scrapyard.
"I'm very concerned with what I saw in that report," Moncton Deputy Mayor Shawn Crossman said Tuesday.
"I fear for the same impacts within Lewisville, or the community of Moncton."
Crossman was reacting to a 38-page report that examined the history of AIM's metal recycling plant in Saint John and a Sept. 14 fire that sent toxic smoke billowing over the Port City.
The task force that prepared the report found AIM's emergency plan was inadequate to deal with that fire or similar ones, that the city's fire department wasn't equipped to fight the fire, Saint John's water supply was insufficient to put out the fire, and the scrapyard's location adjacent to homes "is entirely inappropriate given its now known hazards and risks."
Crossman represents the east end of the Moncton area where AIM took over a scrapyard in March. The location, which has been in operation for decades, is surrounded by businesses and homes.
After reading the Saint John report, he called for the province to revoke any approvals it has issued for the company to operate in Moncton.
Residents packed city council last month to call for relocation of the scrapyard. They have said that loud noise at various hours of the day, smells and other issues intensified after the fire at the Saint John operation led to it being shut down as the investigation unfolded.
AIM did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Crossman said the report also raises questions about the province's ability to inspect and regulate the industry.
New Brunswick Attorney General Ted Flemming, a member of the task force that prepared the report, told reporters it would be up to those with regulatory powers to decide how to act on the findings.
Flemming, asked what the report would mean for AIM's Moncton site, said the government was carrying out inspections of scrapyards across the province.
"This is not just about the AIM fire, it is about making sure that this doesn't happen anywhere else in New Brunswick," Flemming said.
10 scrapyards non-compliant, minister says
He said the Department of Public Safety, responsible for enforcing the Salvage Dealers Licensing Act, had found 76 of 86 sites "substantially in compliance with the law."
A spokesperson for the department later said 87 sites, one more than Flemming said, were inspected over four days.
"The 10 sites which they have found not to be in compliance, they will be returning this week and they will be taking such actions necessary to see that they are in fact in full compliance."
Flemming did not name the 10 locations when asked if AIM's Moncton scrapyard was among them.
"I'm not going to get out of my lane here and go into other areas, but I'll tell you this: Any salvage operation that is not in compliant, is going to be in compliant, and it's going to be compliant some kind of darn fast."
Allan Dearing, a spokesperson for the department, said inspections will be carried out Wednesday and Thursday, and no further details about the sites would be provided in advance.
Last month, AIM pleaded guilty to a charge of operating the Moncton scrapyard without provincial approval. It was fined $292.50.
In mid-November, CBC asked the province for the conditions of the company's approval to operate. That information has yet to be provided.
Crossman and Daniel Allain, the Moncton East Progressive Conservative MLA, met Monday with residents who live near the Moncton scrapyard.
Allain said they have a list of questions for various levels of government and agencies, and the task force report only raises more questions.
He said those questions include the capacity of the fire department to handle a similar scrapyard fire, whether the piles of scrap material are at appropriate heights, and if there is harmful runoff from the scrapyard into an adjacent waterway.
Allain said he hopes they can start to get some of the answers residents want before they meet again before the holidays.
Isabelle LeBlanc, a spokesperson for the City of Moncton, said the city was examining the Saint John task force report.
LeBlanc said city staff were also still looking into whether the company had violated any municipal bylaws.
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