The mayor of Saint John seems to be quite optimistic after meeting with officials from American Iron & Metal (AIM) on Friday.
The meeting came a day after the province issued a stop-work order at the recycling facility following a series of recent explosions.
Mayor Don Darling told our newsroom he appreciated having a “frank and open” discussion with senior reps from the company.
“We are now in a stage with the provincial shutdown order that provides us an opportunity to address a variety of public safety and environmental concerns,” Darling said.
Province shuts down operations
On Thursday, the province ordered AIM to shut down all operations at its facility on Port Saint John property immediately.
The company will have to submit a plan to eliminate explosions and the impact of excessive noise and vibration within 60 operational days.
“We have been deeply concerned about the ongoing environmental issues at the site,” Environment Minister Jeff Carr said in a statement.
Darling said there was a joint commitment to find long-term solutions which address citizen concerns and support sustainable industrial activities.
“We don’t have a regulatory role [over the site], but as I said, my shareholders are 67,000 people in the city, and that’s what we’re focused on,” he said.
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Story by Brad Perry
Twitter: @BradMPerry
Email: perry.brad@radioabl.ca
(Photo: Brad Perry/Acadia News)
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