Shut down AIM scrapyard for good, Saint John council asks province

Saint John city council is calling on the New Brunswick government to shut down the American Iron and Metal plant, where a massive pile of crushed cars burned for two days last week and sent hazardous smoke across the city.

A council motion tells city staff to write Premier Blaine Higgs, asking the province to close the scrapyard on the city's west side and "never allow an organization like this to operate on our waterfront or in our city again."  

"What happened last week is an abomination because it was preventable," said Coun. Greg Norton, who made the motion. "There is no reason or room for this type of negligence in the modern world and our residents must never experience a horrific incident like that again."

During AIM's 12 years on Port Saint John land, it has been the scene of explosions, which prompted letters from council to the province, and two workplace deaths. Neighbours in nearby homes have complained, especially about the environmental impact and the noise from explosions.

No one was injured in the AIM fire that began early Thursday.

Before the flames were under control, Higgs had promised a full investigation and said AIM's operations were suspended. 

On Monday, Higgs and Port Saint John CEO Craig Bell Estabrooks promised to create a task force to find out what happened.

Mayor wants results of audit made public

A statement from the province on Monday said that the port had restricted activities at AIM, except for emergency operations stabilizing the site, until after the investigation, AIM's approval to operate would be suspended until the investigation is complete, he said.

At the start of the council meeting, Reardon read a statement asking for a full and independent audit of AIM's compliance with the terms of its licence. She also said the results of the audit have to be made public.

"Residents of Saint John deserve answers around oversight, operational compliance, environmental impacts and public health," she said.

Letter to be drafted

Norton's motion, a last-minute addition to the agenda, provoked extensive discussion about AIM's impact and the response to the latest trouble at the yard. Emotions ran high as councillors talked about what more the city could do.

The motion eventually passed, with only three councillors opposed. All said they wanted a stronger letter.

An amendment to the motion had been brought forward that would have had the city use whatever power it has to close the plant, but the amendment was defeated.

As the mayor's statement pointed out, the scrapyard sits on port land, and the city doesn't have the power to regulate it. The provincial Environment Department does.

For Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie, the letter proposed by Norton was a good starting point.

He said he's already spoken to some of his counterparts in the region and found even people in Quispamsis, Rothesay, Hampton and Grand Bay-Westfield are concerned.

He plans to take the issue to the regional public safety committee. 

"It's important to me that we send this off right away," said MacKenzie.

"There were people in Rothesay that couldn't sit outside because of the effect on their breathing."

The Uptown Saint John Business Improvement Association also sent a letter to mayor and council on Monday. 

Coun. David Hickey, who chairs the public safety committee, read the letter aloud during the meeting. Many of the more than 500 businesses the association represents had to shut down for the day because of fire, the group said.

Hickey said the committee is also calling on the province to end AIM's licence to operate on the waterfront.

He noted the calls to action weren't new but simply a renewal of a request made in July 2022, when council called on the province to review AIM's operating licence in the wake of the second workplace death at the facility within seven months.

"It's in my opinion that should have been enough," Hickey said. "The countless explosions, fires and community impact from this facility should have also been enough.

"Residents and businesses deserve respect. In the wake of lost wages, closed shops, closed offices and closed windows — they deserve answers and, I think, clear outcomes as to what comes next."