CALGARY – August 10, 2008 – Following a propane-related incident in the Toronto area, the Propane Gas Association of Canada (PGAC) has received a number of media inquiries seeking background information related to Canada’s propane industry, the basic properties of propane gas and safety-related information. In response, the PGAC is issuing the following media statement and Fact Sheet:
The thoughts of the PGAC and its members are with the people who have been affected by today’s propane-related incident in the Toronto area. While the propane facility said to be involved is not a member of the PGAC, the propane industry takes safety matters very seriously. The industry has an excellent safety record and incidents like this are an extremely rare occurrence. The Propane Association of Canada is offering its full cooperation and support to authorities as they conduct an investigation aimed at determining the cause so that future incidents like this may be prevented.
Propane, like any fuel source, must be handled properly. When done so, it is a safe as any other fuel. The industry and the product are highly regulated:
· practices and procedures are required to be safe and compliant with federal, provincial and company standards;
· all employees who handle propane are required to be trained and certified in the operation of the equipment and products they handle;
· equipment and appliances are required to meet strict regulatory standards and to have been installed, maintained and regularly inspected by certified professionals;
· propane facilities are required by law to meet CSA (Canadian Standards Association) standards;
· production, storage, transportation and use are subject to strict standards and regulations;
· facilities dealing with the transportation of propane are required by law to have an emergency response plan registered with Transport Canada, to ensure propane experts are on the scene quickly in the event of an incident.
PROPANE INDUSTRY FACT SHEET:
Safety & Training Facts
· Production, storage, transportation and use are subject to strict standards and regulations:
· practices and procedures are required to be safe and compliant with federal, provincial and company standards;
· all employees who handle propane are required to be trained and certified in the operation of the equipment and products they handle;
· equipment and appliances are required to meet strict regulatory standards and to have been installed, maintained and regularly inspected by certified
professionals;
· propane facilities are required by law to meet CSA (Canadian Standards Association) standards;
· production, storage, transportation and use are subject to strict standards and regulations;
· facilities dealing with the transportation of propane are required by law to have an emergency response plan registered with Transport Canada, to ensure propane experts are on the scene quickly in the event of an incident
· Propane is stored and used in sealed containers and fuel systems, and is only transferred from one container to another by trained personnel.
· Propane tanks are 20 times more puncture proof than conventional gasoline tanks.
· The Propane Training Institute, a division of the PGAC, offers over 30 propane-related courses and issues over 23,000 training certificates annually.
· The LPG Emergency Response Corporation, a subsidiary of the PGAC, offers state-of-the-art emergency response capability, ensuring safe and timely response to incidents involving liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
· In the event of a leak, propane readily vaporises and dissipates into the atmosphere. In an era of environmental concerns, propane stands above most fuels and rivals the cleanest.
Propane is Clean
· Propane is clean burning and effectively competes with other alternative and renewable fuels on efficiency and green house gas emissions in many applications.
· Propane also offers additional air quality advantages; when properly mixed with air to form a combustible mixture, propane emits virtually no soot and low carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen, which are the basic precursors of ground level ozone, or smog.
· Propane’s simple chemical makeup allows it to burn cleaner than coal, light and heavy petroleum fuels, ethanol, and even natural gas in some cases.
· Because propane is stored and transported under pressure, the transportation and storage system prevents any evaporative emissions.
· Propane gas is, on average, the most energy efficient fuel produced during the well-to pump stage. In fact, when it comes to energy supplied to appliances, electricity production efficiency is 42-60% less efficient than the production of propane gas.
· Propane gas vehicles emit up to 27% fewer GHGs than gasoline vehicles, saving 1kg of GHG emissions for every 36 km traveled.
· Propane gas vehicles emit about 50% fewer toxins and other smog producing emissions than regular gasoline engines.
Propane is Portable
· Propane can be stored, transported and used almost anywhere, and won’t deteriorate over time. Storage cylinders and tanks come in a range of sizes; all built and transported according to highly regulated safety standards.
· In many case, it is the only fuel used in remote locations because of its portability, especially for applications where demand patterns change, such as construction sites or cottages.
Basic Propane Industry Facts
· Propane is available in abundance in Canada. This country produces nearly 5% of the world supply and uses only a third of that domestically.
· Canada produced 11 billion litres of propane in 2006.
· 87% of Canada’s supply was extracted from natural gas at hundreds of facilities across Canada; 12% was refined from crude oil at 17 refineries, and less than 1% was imported.
· 7.3 billion litres of Canadian supply (66%) was exported to the U.S.
· The other 3.7 billion litres was consumed within Canada, within every region, across many sectors, for a broad range of applications.
The PGAC is the national voice of the Canadian propane industry. Our mission is to support our members in the growth and development of a safe, environmentally responsible Canadian propane industry, for the benefit of all Canadians. Our 270+ members include propane producers, wholesalers, retailers and transporters, as well as manufacturers of appliances, cylinders and equipment. Visit [url=http://www.propanegas.ca]http://www.propanegas.ca[/url].
Media Contact:
Tracy Walden, Communications Manager
Email:
twalden@propanegas.ca
