Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Incident Ice Rink topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glens Falls City says DEC overseeing cleanup after glycol found in ice-rink chiller pit
Summary
City staff told the Water and Sewer board that tests found glycol only in the rink's chiller pit, DEC required perimeter testing, and the city is cleaning the pit under DEC oversight while seeking grant funds to replace the system.
Glens Falls City officials said Monday that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is overseeing testing and cleanup after glycol was detected in the chiller pit at the city ice rink.
City staff told the Water and Sewer board that LaBella conducted testing the DEC requested; tests found glycol inside the chiller pit but not in perimeter test wells. The city said it is cleaning out the chiller pit under DEC direction and has asked the agency to approve a temporary coagulant treatment described in meeting notes as a short-term repair while the city pursues grant funding to replace the refrigeration system.
Officials said DEC treated the situation like a spill after an anonymous report from someone the board understood to be an environmental attorney. The board said DEC’s spill unit responded; city staff provided LaBella’s test results to DEC. The transcript records that city staff are not proceeding without DEC approval.
The board said glycol levels are now “reduced almost to nothing,” but DEC continues to treat the matter with the same procedures used for spill responses. City staff said they may close the rink for the season if a leak cannot be contained; the city plans to meet with rink user groups, including youth hockey and school teams, and is aiming for an opening date of the 15th pending DEC approval.
City staff said replacing the refrigeration system will be expensive and that the city plans to pursue grants to fund a full replacement rather than rely solely on temporary fixes.
