Oyster Bay skating rink reopens in Bethpage a week after ammonia leak

The Town of Oyster Bay Skating Center in Bethpage has reopened, a week after a dangerous ammonia leak in its refrigeration system caused the evacuation of the center.

The rink reopened Sunday, Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said Monday. Town spokeswoman Marta Kane said the reopening came days after repair crews replaced a gasket in a leaking compressor following a detailed inspection.

“We thank local athletes and ice skating enthusiasts for their patience,” Saladino said in a statement.

The community center complex housing the rink on Stewart Avenue was evacuated on Jan. 27, after the refrigerant anhydrous ammonia had leaked from the compressor used to create ice in what Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal James F. Hickman called a “dangerous” situation.

Hazmat crews were on scene at about 7:15 p.m. and announced the situation had been cleared at 12:24 a.m. on Jan. 28, Hickman said. Though the rink had been closed following the incident, other areas of the community center were reopened that day.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, anhydrous ammonia can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. Prolonged exposure can cause asthma, blindness and pulmonary edema.

Kane said that while the repairs to the system were made relatively quickly, the delay in reopening was to give staff time to repaint lines on the ice.

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.”