The propane question

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Chris Justice knows propane and he gave the Kings Crime Prevention Association the benefit of his 26 years of experience recently.

“There was a lot of interest in the recent mishap in Toronto,” said the owner of Total Energy in Kentville.

On Aug. 10, a veteran firefighter died while trying to extinguish a massive fire at a propane depot in north Toronto. An employee also died and thousands of people were evacuated.

Propane is the energy source that now powers activities like cooking, home heating, crop drying on farms and even the Zamboni that scoots around ice rinks.

Justice describes its use as a “normal everyday hazard.” He added it takes a thousand degrees to ignite propane. “You can’t ignite it with a cigarette,” he said.

Propane is a colourless and odourless gas. A smell is added so a leak can be detected by a strong, distinct odour like rotten eggs or boiling cabbage. Leaking propane is heavier than air and will flow to low-lying areas.

Rule of thumb is run

Safe storage is a concern, but Justice says thieves don’t generally tamper with cylinders. “They’re too scared. If you suspect a leak, turn off the supply of propane at the cylinder and the rule of thumb is run.”

Propane incidents are rare, primarily because of strictly enforced safety regulations. All cylinders must have a decal identifying the contents as a flammable gas. In Canada, they must be inspected and requalified or replaced every 10 years.

He recommends storing spare propane tanks in a shed. When asked about transporting BBQ tanks, he suggested using a plastic milk crate in the trunk of a car, but Justice knows those who use seatbelts and bungee cords.

Propane furnaces burn cleanly, Justice noted, and he believes the demand will increase when consumers start comparing oil and propane costs.

Justice obtains his supply of propane from Wilson’s Fuel. He added the natural gas coming onshore at Goldsboro is pumped largely to New England.