Province threatens to close AIM in Moncton

New Brunswick's Minister of Public Safety is threatening to close American Iron & Metal's scrap yard in Moncton.

Kris Austin is considering suspending or revoking the company's scrap dealer license for its Toombs Street operation.

It comes as Residents protested last weekend calls for the company to be relocated from its current location to a heavy industry park.

In a May 23 letter, Austin alleged that AIM violated provincial regulations, failed to comply with the national fire code and violated municipal ordinances.

The minister said operations at the site had “intensified and changed significantly” since AIM took over in March 2023.

AIM was found guilty in November of operating as a scrap dealer without a license and ordered to pay a fine, he noted.

Austin said equipment and other debris had been “fallen or pushed” from the site into an area within 100 feet of a waterway.

In December, the fire safety officer identified eight violations of the national fire safety regulations and called on the company to comply.

In January, the City of Moncton issued a notice to comply with the Dangerous or Unsightly Premises and Grounds Ordinance.

“I have been advised that the site is now compliant, however the City of Moncton continues to have significant concerns about the ongoing risks associated with operating the AIM site,” Austin wrote.

According to the minister, the company has not provided written confirmation that it is complying with a court order issued in January prohibiting it from importing scrap from outside the province.

Austin said the city has received 189 complaints from residents who “report being negatively impacted by noise, vibration, increased traffic, extended operating hours, visual and aesthetic impacts of the scrap piles, and environmental concerns.”

“Every week we continue to receive numerous complaints about AIM’s operations,” he wrote.

The scrapyard is located just 300 metres from two public parks, a playground and a children's centre, which the minister says contravenes the Salvage Dealers Licensing Act and the Unsightly Premises Act. There are also more than 200 houses within 300 metres of the site.

Austin gave the company until June 14 to respond to his department's concerns.

AIM is currently in litigation with the province over its activities on the Saint John waterfront.

The department revoked the company's license as a scrap dealer after a devastating report about a fire in September The fire burned for more than 40 hours and led to a voluntary curfew throughout the city.