| EMERGENCY AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT NOT THE FOCUS OF PROPANE SAFETY PANEL: MPP MACLEOD |
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| Thursday, 06 November 2008 19:00 |
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(Nepean, ON) – The province’s propane and safety panel recommendations do not adequately address the emergency and disaster management of deadly propane explosions, says Official Opposition Consumer Critic Lisa MacLeod. “In August, 12,000 people had to be evacuated because of a major propane explosion. The public still wants to know how this happened and how the province could better address emergency and disaster management. Unfortunately this propane safety report does little to address these concerns,” said MacLeod. The expert panel made a total of 40 recommendations, none of which included the MacLeod’s following suggestions: · Mitigating of potential events by ensuring all future facilities be constructed safely away from residential areas through a developed protocol and public consultation; · Frequently reporting from the TSSA to confirm that inspections are carried out; · Legislating an absolute requirement for more frequent inspections, under government regulation, of all dangerous substance sites; · Reviewing provincial legislation regarding future man-made and natural-disasters to ensure that the province can react effectively with an incident. · In the event there is a disaster: o Establish a disaster relief plan. o Direct the Ministry of the Environment to immediately test soil and air for any toxic or dangerous substances in the event there is a disaster; o Provide daily reports on the progress of the inspections of propane facilities, which should be jointly carried out by the TSSA and a local Fire Department expert. “The safety of Ontarians should be a top priority, and there are many outstanding problems that the McGuinty Liberals haven’t addressed as a result of the August propane explosion”, said MacLeod who cited the challenges with the 9-1-1 call systems, the slow pace of the toxic chemical cleanup in the aftermath and the inadequate victim assistance after the explosion. “My primary concern is the safety of Ontarians when emergencies like this occur,” concluded MacLeod. For Immediate Release November 7th, 2008 |