Moncton residents raise concerns about local AIM scrapyard at meeting with city staff

Monique Bernard is unhappy she has to wake up to the noise of the scrapyard in her neighbourhood.

She lives 150 metres away from the American Iron and Metal (AIM) salvage yard on Toombs Street, in the middle of a residential area. 

Over 60 residents, including Bernard, attended a town hall-style meeting organized by the City of Moncton on Tuesday night. 

Coun. Shawn Crossman, whose ward includes the area, asked for the meeting so the city could answer questions about the roles and powers the municipal and provincial governments have over the salvage yard.

Residents also had a chance to raise their concerns and provide feedback about a noise mitigation wall made of shipping containers that's planned for the scrapyard site, as part of a provincial requirement to operate.

"It's the least they could do ... but do I think there is going to be a scrapyard disrupting my life tomorrow, and next week and for the next six months? Absolutely," said Bernard.

"I am grateful that we had a meeting, I am still not quite sure what the municipality is doing."

Bernard said loud noises and vibrations from the scrapyard are affecting her quality of life and mental health. 

She said she is worried about being exposed to "noxious fumes" and "metal particles." 

The thought of a fire breaking out, as it did at the company's Saint John facility, troubles her, she said.

"I honestly feel unwelcomed in my home," she said. "I don't feel like I belong there."

Other residents raised similar complaints. One even used a handheld speaker to play a loud recording of sounds from the scrapyard for the first 20 minutes of the meeting, forcing city staff to use a microphone in order to be heard over the noise.

Mike Randall, a third-party facilitator, was hired by the city to moderate the meeting and document the issues raised by the residents.

The city will wait for his report before deciding on next steps, said Serge Doucet, Moncton's chief administrative officer.

"We're going to look at the actions that are the responsibility of the City of Moncton, and we'll make an action plan," he said. 

The report and the action plan will be shared with residents and will be posted on the Lewisville Facebook group, Doucet said.

The report will include detailed information about topics raised by residents such as the noise mitigation wall, AIM's licence to operate, fire inspections, zoning and noise bylaws, and incentives for the facility to be relocated. It will also identify which level of government is responsible for each of the issues, Randall said.

The provincial Department of Environment and Local Government and the Department of Public Safety are both responsible for licensing the scrapyard, while municipal power is limited to zoning and enforcing bylaws, city staff said.

Deputy Mayor Paulette Thériault attended the meeting and said she will be raising the neighbourhood's concerns at a future council meeting.

"We just need to really look at this in very fine details and find a way to move forward with a very strategic plan," said Thériault, who is also a ward councillor for the area.  

"Hopefully now we can begin to look at the possibility of cleaning everything up."