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Firefighters respond to ammonia leak at BC arena

E-mail|Link|Comments () April 13, 2010 08:52 AM

George Rizer for The Boston Globe

Firefighters raced to the Conte Forum this morning to respond to the hazmat incident.

By Shana Wickett, Globe Correspondent

Boston firefighters are responding to an ammonia leak reported early this morning at the Conte Forum sports arena at Boston College.

The leak was detected at about 5 a.m. by a monitoring system attached to a mechanical room where an ammonia tank was located. There were no evacuations, and no injuries were reported, the
Boston Fire Department said.

“It’s a contained situation,” said Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald.

The fire department is still detecting elevated readings in the room and is working with Boston College officials and the college’s engineering department, he said.

“It’s an ongoing incident right now,” MacDonald said. “It’s controlled, and we’re just trying to get the elevated readings in the room down to normal levels.”

Firefighters suited up in protective gear for the Level 3 hazardous materials incident. An entry team shut down the tank.

The leak came from the mechanical room, which contains ammonia used in the refrigeration system to make ice for the hockey rink.

“That’s why [the ammonia] is there in the first place,” MacDonald said. The cause of the leak is undetermined.