Public Safety officials have issued compliance orders to 10 salvage dealers after on-site inspections.
The dealers include three American Iron and Metal facilities in Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton.
Officials said the orders focus on issues associated with the highest risk of fire.
That includes pile size, barriers intended to prevent fire spread, and fire vehicle access.
“We are working with salvage dealers across the province to ensure they are operating within the parameters of the national fire code to reduce the risk of fires and ensure the safety of New Brunswickers,” Public Safety Minister Kris Austin said in a news release.
Provincial officials have given the 10 dealers until Thursday to improve site conditions.
All 87 licensed salvage dealers in the province were inspected and assessed this month for hazards that presented high fire or safety risks.
Following those initial inspections, in-depth inspections were done at 10 sites by fire prevention officers from the Office of the Fire Marshal and environmental inspectors with the Department of Environment.
The 10 salvage dealers given compliance orders are:
- American Iron and Metal – 400 Carman Ave., Fredericton
- American Iron and Metal –131 Toombs St., Moncton
- American Iron and Metal – 65 Recycling St., Saint John (this site does not have the approval to operate)
- Arm & Sons Tire – 1620 Rte. 11, Alnwick (Barryville district)
- Brown’s Auto Salvage – 6041 Rte. 10, Grand Lake (Upper Salmon Creek district)
- Gallant Enterprises – 200 Rossignol Rd., Edmundston
- Greer’s Mountain Salvage – 32 Timothy Ave., Hanwell
- Flower’s Salvage – 1554 Rte. 10, Capital Region rural district (Noonan district)
- Neighborhood Recycling – 1635 Berry Mills Rd., Moncton
- Simpson Truck & Tractor Parts – 120 Paddy’s Hill Dr., Saint John
The inspections follow a long-awaited report into September’s fire at American Iron and Metal’s scrapyard in Saint John said the facility should not be in the centre of the city.
A provincially-appointed task force stopped short of recommending that the operations be relocated or shuttered for good.
Attorney General Ted Flemming said it would be up to the appropriate regulators to determine the future of the facility.
AIM has been given until this coming Friday, Dec. 22, to respond to the report before the province makes any decision.
Among the findings, the scrap metal piles at the facility exceeded the size recommended in the Environmental Impact Assessment and prescribed by the National Fire Code by as much as 2.5 times.
It was also noted that the company did not and does not have an emergency plan capable of effectively responding to a fire like that again in the future.
The task force also found a “material risk” that a similar catastrophic fire could happen again at the AIM operation.
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