Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center remains closed after ammonia leak; community center is open

Quick action by workers at the Town of Oyster Bay Skating Center and emergency responders, including hazmat personnel, helped avoid a potentially dangerous situation following an ammonia leak in the rink compressor system Saturday, a Nassau County fire official said Monday.

Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal James F. Hickman said the staff at the town community center on Stewart Avenue in Bethpage immediately shut down the system upon discovering the leak, limiting the amount of the refrigerant anhydrous ammonia that aerosolized in the incident.

“The heroes in this case are the workers who shut it down pretty quickly,” Hickman said, noting fire marshals and hazmat teams were notified at 7:13 p.m. Saturday and that the situation was contained within the hour. The building was cleared by fire marshals at 12:24 a.m. Sunday.

Hickman said the ammonia — a compressed gas aerosolized when exposed to air — was apparent upon reaching the site.

“If you were on the downwind side of the building you could definitely smell it,” Hickman said. “It hit you.” 

The rink was closed Monday.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, anhydrous ammonia, which is used as the refrigerant in the system needed to create and maintain ice, can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. Prolonged exposure can cause asthma, blindness and pulmonary edema.

Town of Oyster Bay spokeswoman Marta Kane said staff at the rink heard “what sounded like a pop” — a noise later determined to be a leak in a compressor line.

She said the evacuation of the building then was “pretty immediate.”

While it was not clear how many people were in the building Saturday night, officials said at least seven Nassau County fire departments, with Bethpage as the lead agency, responded to the scene — as did hazmat teams from the county fire service and Nassau County Police Emergency Service Unit personnel.

Hickman said hazmat personnel entering the site were equipped with “full Level A suits,” the highest of four-level protective hazmat gear. According to the official hazmat designation, Level A suits are fully encapsulating chemical entry suits with a full-faceplate and self-containing breathing apparatus, protecting against vapors, gasses, mists and particles.

“The levels of anhydrous ammonia inside the building were still dangerous,” Hickman said. “We opened up windows, we opened up doors. We were able to reset the ventilation system so it could air out the place and get the air quality back to a safe level. It's safe now.

“We don't leave until it's safe,” he added.

On Monday, a town maintenance team was trying to determine if the compressor system could be repaired or if the system needed to be replaced, Kane said.

“We have maintenance people there right now and looking to see what it will take to fix the unit — or if it has to be replaced,” Kane said. “We can't say if it [the rink] will reopen tomorrow or if it will be later in the week … Definitely, it will be closed today.”

The building was cleared for other activities hosted at the community center.

But it was still not clear Monday how many ice hockey leagues were affected by the rink closure, though Kane said town residents seeking to skate could still use the outdoor rinks operated by the town. Those include: Marjorie R. Post Community Park, at Unqua and Merrick roads in Massapequa, and Syosset-Woodbury Community Park, at 7800 Jericho Tpke. in Woodbury.

“We opened our doors the very next morning to allow all athletes to collect their equipment from the rink and continue to do everything possible to reopen the ice for public skating later this week,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a statement.

Officials said there were no reports of injuries or illness, but Hickman said four people — the workers who initially shut down the leaking system — went through a complete decontamination on-site and then were evaluated by the Bethpage Fire Department.

Those workers did not seek any additional medical treatment, he said.

Hickman said all hazmat personnel underwent complete decontamination at the scene. 

This was not the first time the water-soluble gas has leaked at Bethpage Community Park.

Newsday reported in 2010 that six people were transported to a hospital following a leak at the center.

With Janon Fisher

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”