Act amendment aims to reduce fire risk at N.B. salvage sites

Saint John, N.B., residents watch a fire at the American Iron and Metal recycling facility on Gateway Street on Sept. 14, 2023. (Avery MacRae/CTV Atlantic)

Eight months after a massive fire broke out at the American Iron and Metal site in Saint John, N.B., the provincial government has introduced amendments to the Salvage Dealers Licensing Act designed to increase accountability and reduce fire risks at salvage sites.

According to a news release from the province, the proposed amendments would:

• increase the penalty for salvage dealers who violate licensing requirements under the act
• create new ministerial authority to apply special conditions on a salvage dealer licence and suspend a salvage dealer licence without a hearing while an investigation is conducted
• require a salvage dealer to have a fire safety plan and site layout when applying for a licence

“Government has taken the findings of the AIM task force seriously and the proposed amendments will put more emphasis on compliance with the National Fire Code and help prevent a similar event from happening in the future, while also strengthening the Department of Justice and Public Safety’s response if one does,” said Public Safety Minister Kris Austin in the release. “When we received the task force report in December, we set out immediately to identify options for strengthening both accountability and fire safety. These amendments represent significant improvement in both.”

The final report found, among other things, the AIM fire released contaminants into the air and water in Saint John that will require significant additional testing.

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