The head of the Emergency Operations Commission (COE) and Civil Defense director, Major General Rafael de Luna Pichirilo suggests relocating all propane gas stations at least one kilometer away from populated areas. The current Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Resolution 139 dated back to 1999) regulations stipulate a distance of only 100 meters.
An LPG tank explosion in the La Esperanza neighborhood in Los Rios on Tuesday, 16 February 2016 left dozens of residents injured and houses and vehicles destroyed. The victims lost most of their belongings when they had to evacuate their homes at around 6am.
De Luna Pichirilo blamed the Solgas propane station explosion on operational mismanagement and criticized city governments for failing to regulate the spread of barrios and communities into vulnerable areas. According to news reports, when it was installed, the SolGas plant was far away from residential areas.
Pichirilo made his comments on the El Dia program on Telesistema, Channel 11 on Wednesday, 17 February 2016. He said that a meeting would be held with everyone involved in granting permits for gas plants, including the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, Ministry of Environment, firefighters and Catastro Nacional to find a solution to the problem of fuel stations that are currently located in populated areas.
He said the Department for Land Use Organization and Development under architect Franklin Labour has drawn up a proposal on the issue. Meanwhile, he said he has instructed the provincial Civil Defense directors to meet with neighborhood groups to prepare contingency plans for areas that do not already have them.
Roberto Salcedo, mayor of the National District where SolGas is located, said that the company must provide compensation for those affected.
Read more in Spanish:
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2016/02/18/408358/salcedo-convoca-a-reunion-instituciones-que-dan-permiso-a-envasadoras-de-gas
