Rink fumes sent children to hospital. Yet few states require testing. • Alaska Beacon

Last December, dozens of young hockey players were hospitalized in Buffalo, New York, some vomiting, lethargic and suffering from headaches.

Skaters were exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide at the indoor rink, a problem that is not uncommon. Most rinks use ice resurfacing machines — often known as Zambonis — and edgers, which often run on propane or other fuels. Some use gas-powered heaters above the seating areas. Without proper ventilation, fumes from this equipment can build up high levels of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.

“It’s almost like driving in a garage with the doors closed,” said Monica Wallace, a Democratic New York Assemblywoman whose district includes the rink where the poisoning occurred. “And this is happening in rinks that are often used by children, where people are breathing heavily as they play.”

While the young skaters in New York recovered, Wallace learned they were not the first to suffer mass rink poisoning. Similar incidents have sent rink-goers to the hospital in Delaware, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin over the past decade. Some state health officials say many more incidents never make it to the news. And as families across the country begin hockey training camps and sign up for fall leagues, health experts say many rink-goers may be unknowingly suffering from exposure to lower levels that can cause long-term damage.

As Wallace researched previous incidents across the country, the former hockey mom was even more surprised to discover that only three states require rinks to test air quality and meet certain safety thresholds.

“It seems pretty surprising that this is such a problem,” she said. “Until it happened in my district, I had no idea.”

Earlier this year, Wallace drafted a bill that would require rink owners in New York City to monitor air quality. If certain thresholds are exceeded, they would have to increase ventilation, notify state officials or evacuate the rink. Many rinks, especially older ones, have ventilation at the top of the building to keep warmer outside air from being drawn near the rink surface. But that can cause gases to build up in the skating area if they aren’t removed by exhaust fans.

The bill is modeled after existing standards in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island. Leaders in those states say the laws have helped reduce the number of emergencies and lower long-term exposures that can cause respiratory problems like asthma.

While some rink owners initially expressed skepticism about the rules, industry officials in those states say they have learned to follow them. They now say the standards are a key framework that helps them provide a safe environment for skaters and staff.

“It doesn’t do anyone any good to have something on the evening news about 15 kids being loaded into ambulances at a rink,” said Ed Peduto, a board member of the North East Ice Skating Managers Association and general manager of the rink in Reading, Mass. “People don’t want to be regulated, but this has made rinks in Massachusetts exponentially safer.”

Promoting safety

National ice-rink industry groups already recommend air-quality testing and safety thresholds. They don’t openly oppose bills like Wallace’s that would make those tests mandatory. But New York’s bill didn’t pass before the Legislature ends this session; Wallace plans to revisit the proposal next year. Still, there appears to be little interest at the state or federal level in adopting such rules for the nation’s roughly 2,000 indoor rinks.

“I see reports of incidents in various states that suggest that in the absence of regulation, there is an increased risk of serious poisoning,” said Dan Tranter, manager of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Indoor Air Unit. “It’s a pretty reasonable way to protect public health.”

Minnesota became the first state to enact air quality regulations for ice rinks in 1973. Over time, test results showed a decline in carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide levels as rink owners fixed ventilation problems or switched to electric machines. The state hasn’t had a major hospitalization in more than 20 years, Tranter said.

Massachusetts adopted its standards in 1997. Suzanne Condon, a former deputy commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, helped write the regulations. In addition to mass poisonings, state leaders were concerned about high rates of childhood asthma and other respiratory illnesses, citing emerging evidence that long-term exposure to lower levels could worsen such problems.

“I remember watching the bench at high school hockey games and almost every other kid was using an inhaler,” she said. “You really want to prevent exposures to prevent disease and ultimately improve kids’ lives.”

Agency representatives present did not respond to Stateline’s request for an interview.

Peduto, the Massachusetts rink manager, said the agency backed up its rules with a rigorous inspection system that initially angered rink owners. But over time, as they were forced to comply, owners began to see the improved air quality as a selling point, Peduto said.

“Ice rink operators in Massachusetts are really proud of the air quality at their rinks,” Condon added. “It’s been years since there’s been a carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide incident. That’s proof that it’s worked.”

Industry reaction

Rhode Island has also set standards, while Connecticut, New Hampshire and Wisconsin have issued nonbinding guidelines. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued detailed guidelines for ice rink operators, but they are voluntary.

The U.S. Ice Rink Association recommends its members voluntarily test air and take corrective actions at certain thresholds. The trade group did not respond to a request for comment.

Given the number of high-profile poisoning cases and the lack of visible industry resistance, some officials are surprised that more states haven’t enacted their own regulations. Some speculate that it’s due to a lack of awareness or the fact that the problem is confined to one industry.

At least one local government took matters into its own hands. About a decade ago, firefighters in Evendale, Ohio, became concerned about how often they were being called to a local ice arena over the course of several years to help sick skaters.

“We started measuring carbon monoxide levels whenever we were at the facility, and the alarms kept going off,” said Michael Hauck, the village’s fire chief. “That alerted us to the potential problem with the equipment being used at the rink.”

When local leaders looked into the matter, they learned from Ohio health officials that there would be no state regulations. In 2017, the village council adopted a set of air-quality testing requirements and standards modeled on Minnesota regulations. Shortly after they were adopted, the rink that had raised concerns with the fire department discovered that it had problems with its ventilation units. After repairs, the air quality improved significantly.

Ultimately, both of the city’s rinks switched to electric ice resurfacing machines. State and local officials say they’ve seen many rink owners switch to electric equipment since the testing rules were passed. By switching to models that don’t emit fumes, they can exempt themselves from testing requirements and save money on fuel in the long run.

“The regulations are really encouraging the move to all-electric,” said Tranter of the Minnesota agency. “It’s rare now to see the level of corrective action, and that has a lot to do with the move to electric.”

Stateline originally published this article. Like the Alaska Beacon, Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) charitable organization.