Sunrise Propane To Receive $2 Million Clean-Up Bill

Toronto, Ontario (AHN) - The clean-up bill for the damage to Downsville residences has been estimated at $2 million. The homes were damaged when a nearby gas facility explosion occurred inside the Sunrise Propane and Industrial Gases facility.

Toronto Mayor David Miller said the city will ask Sunrise to pay back the amount. The city took over the cleaning operations after Sunrise was slow to mop up the damage done to adjacent homes.

The clean-up team consists of 150 people from five consultant firms. By working 15-hours a day, the team hopes to finish clean-up operations in the Downsview neighborhood by Saturday afternoon. A majority of the residents in the area are Italian migrants.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday at Hamilton that there will be changes in the way propane facilities in the province will be supervised, but he declined to give further details until the investigation on the Sunrise explosion is done.

"We're going to have to do something, there's no doubt about that. But what exactly we're going to do we're not sure yet. We prefer to wait for all the information to come in... Armed with that information, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to protect public safety," McGuinty said. The Technical Standards and Safety Association (TSSA), is in hot water for its apparent failure to properly regulate the propane facility operators. It declined to comment on what would happen to the authority with the growing public clamor to transfer its mandate to another agency.

TSSA spokesperson David Lisle maintained, "We are TSSA are extremely confident in our safety record and our ability to deliver on that huge responsibility that's been given to us."