Image: AIM Recycling Saint John Facebook page.
Recent explosions at the AIM Recycling facility in west Saint John have caught the attention of the local member of Parliament.
Wayne Long issued a statement late Wednesday calling on the province to take “all additional enforcement action necessary” to put an end to the blasts.
Long, who represents the riding of Saint John-Rothesay, said he is “deeply concerned” about the severity and frequency of recent blasts at the site, located on the west side of Port Saint John.
“It is simply unacceptable that residents and businesses in these areas of our community are so frequently subjected to the impacts, both psychological and environmental, of these explosions,” Long wrote in his statement, which he shared to social media.
The recycling facility was forced to cease operations earlier this week after two explosions Monday and Tuesday exceeded the 104-decibel noise limit set out in the company’s approval to operate.
On Tuesday, the province’s environment minister said his department would conduct a “more in-depth investigation” given the frequency of recent explosions.
Long said he has repeatedly met with constituents, government representatives and company officials over the past two years in a collaborative effort to end the blasts.
“Unfortunately, it is now clear that this has not yielded an acceptable solution for those living in proximity to this facility; to me, this is completely untenable,” he said.
On Monday, AIM Recycling issued a statement saying it has made “considerable” effort to reduce explosions in recent months.
General manager Michael Cormier said the facility has had 28 explosions this year, down from a total of 53 in 2018. Cormier said only five explosions this year have been “recordable,” meaning they exceeded the noise limit.
Long noted that, under the company’s approval to operate, AIM Recycling must inspect all raw materials and ensure any accelerants are removed before shredding takes place.
“If the conditions of this Approval to Operate were being met, there would be no explosions taking place at the facility,” he said.
But Cormier maintained that the facility complies with all the conditions of their approval to operate and is “proactively working to minimize any negative impacts its operations may have on the community through education.”
Long said the regulation of industrial operations at the site falls primarily under provincial jurisdiction, but added he and his team are working with federal officials to see if there is any action they can take “that will bring an immediate end to these explosions.”
My statement regarding the situation at the AIM facility in Saint John: pic.twitter.com/YbDa1iJ932
— Wayne Long, M.P. (@MPWayneLong) December 3, 2020
Follow
