NewsWhore
06-09-2009, 03:30 PM
It's the same old story. The regulations exist, but nobody is there to enforce them, according to a column in today's Hoy newspaper. There are more than 1,000 propane gas stations in the DR, but over 60% of them do not comply with the standards that have been established for the safe handling of gas, says Julio Santana, director of the Standards and Quality Systems Department (Digenor).
His statement comes after an explosion at a station in a commercial and residential area, which caused millions of pesos worth of material damage and several injuries.
Santana stressed that without supervision there would be no compliance. He says he will be meeting with his boss, Industry and Commerce Minister Jose Ramon Fadul on a program drawn up by his technicians aimed at obliging LPG station owners to follow the regulations laid out by Digenor.
Interviewed by Hoy reporters Rosa Alcantara and Juan Ramirez, Santana stated the obvious: LPG stations without supervision breaking the rules and stations that do this pose a danger to the entire area surrounding the facility.
He said if the minister approves his plan, his supervisors would close any facility that is not up to standard, either temporarily or permanently.
Last week's explosion at an LPG facility in San Isidro injured 18 people and damaged dozens of buildings.
While Digenor has been in existence for 30 years, it has never really been at the forefront, even though it is the organization responsible for ensuring quality in weights and measures and security in gasoline and LPG stations.
Santana says the department does not have the vehicles, budget and personnel needed to fulfill its task.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
His statement comes after an explosion at a station in a commercial and residential area, which caused millions of pesos worth of material damage and several injuries.
Santana stressed that without supervision there would be no compliance. He says he will be meeting with his boss, Industry and Commerce Minister Jose Ramon Fadul on a program drawn up by his technicians aimed at obliging LPG station owners to follow the regulations laid out by Digenor.
Interviewed by Hoy reporters Rosa Alcantara and Juan Ramirez, Santana stated the obvious: LPG stations without supervision breaking the rules and stations that do this pose a danger to the entire area surrounding the facility.
He said if the minister approves his plan, his supervisors would close any facility that is not up to standard, either temporarily or permanently.
Last week's explosion at an LPG facility in San Isidro injured 18 people and damaged dozens of buildings.
While Digenor has been in existence for 30 years, it has never really been at the forefront, even though it is the organization responsible for ensuring quality in weights and measures and security in gasoline and LPG stations.
Santana says the department does not have the vehicles, budget and personnel needed to fulfill its task.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)