An online petition is calling on the provincial government to force a halt to operations at the American Iron and Metal facility following any explosions for fires. The petition has been launched by the lobby group “Liveable Saint John.” The group wants a mandatory 24-hour shutdown of operations following any explosion or fire event at the west side metal shredding facility.
In the petition preamble – the group says “under the current approval to operate, explosions events trigger a temporary shutdown until appropriate fire and environment officials can visit the site and provide a report – the current requirement effectively enables explosions to continue with little consequence for AIM, and in recent months, explosions have in fact become more frequent despite these requirements.” The group says a zero tolerance policy is needed for the safety of AIM workers – the well being of residents – and sustainability of the community.
Provincial Environment Minister Gary Crossman ordered operations halted in late November after a series of explosions rocked neighbourhoods on both sides of the harbour. Crossman allowed the company to resume operations after it stepped up its process to remove flammable and explosive materials from crushed vehicles destined for the shredder.
Details on the petition can be found here.
