Crews investigate liquid ammonia leak at Rockville ice rink

Tag : ammonia liquid
Fire officials said they were called to ice rink, located at 50Southlawn Court in Rockville, at 2:30 p.m. for the report of theleak. The building, which includes an attached restaurant, wassubsequently evacuated, Pete Piringer, county Fire and RescueService spokesman, said.
Two of the initial firefighters who tried to shut off the leak wereexposed to the chemical and sent to a hospital as a precaution.Piringer said they were not injured.
No one could be reached for comment at the ice rink.
The ammonia was stored in a tank, he said, but the cause of theleak or the amount that leaked has not been determined.
Ammonia is a toxic and flammable chemical that can cause irritationin a person’s eyes, skin or throat, Piringer said.
“It can cause respiratory irritation, trouble breathing ...skin irritation and burns in different concentrations,“Piringer said.
“It can be fatal in extreme cases,“ he added.
Liquid ammonia, when exposed to the air, vaporizes into a gas andthen dissipates. In ice rinks, liquid ammonia is typically used forrefrigeration.