Saint John’s AIM plant could be shut down by the end of the week

It was a relatively quiet at Saint John’s American Iron and Metal (AIM) scrap recycling facility, until 8:21 a.m. Wednesday when an explosion rocked some homes on the lower west side.

The Port of Saint John confirmed that the explosion came from AIM’s shredder, the culprit of dozens of explosions since the summer of 2017. The blast registered around 96 decibels, shy of the the 109 decibel threshold that would force the plant to temporarily stop operations.

But as the end of a three-month probationary period for the facility nears, New Brunswick’s minister of environment and local government says the plant may go completely quiet at the end of the week.

“If I’m not satisfied by the end of this week I will not be signing their next order to operate and they will be stopped until they come back with some of the reports I’ve looked for,” Jeff Carr told Global News on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Stop-work order to remain in effect at Saint John AIM facility after reports of early-morning explosion

The plant is extremely unpopular with residents in the lower west side neighbourhood that borders the port-side facility, claiming that the explosions have greatly impacted quality of life and have some worried about how it could be affecting air and water quality.

WATCH: Saint John AIM owner fears impending closure

1:57 Saint John AIM owner fears impending closure

Carr signed a stop-work order in November, bring operations to a halt. The plant was allowed to open back up under strict conditions in December, but as the end of the probationary period approaches Carr says some conditions are not being met.

“The three-month, or the 90-day suspension on their stop work, so their probationary period ends at the end of this week. So they haven’t met all of those requirements just yet,” he said.

READ MORE: Department of Environment gives AIM permission to restart Saint John operations Monday

Carr says he needs to see plans detailing how the plant can double its processing capacity to 200 tonnes an hour, as well as how it will clear out its old inventory, which it says is the source of the explosions.

“If I don’t get those plans on my desk by the end of day Friday I won’t be signing their next 90 day probationary period,” he said.

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The owner of American Iron and Metal Herbert Black, declined to comment when reached by phone Wednesday, only saying that he was “cooperating” with the department.