The American Journal of Public Health found that use of electric ice resurfacers reduced nitrogen dioxide levels in indoor rinks by 87%. Hockey fans should write thank you letters for this. The National Hockey League is following suit and expects to use IceCats by next season. According to Mayor David Miller, “In this upcoming ice skating season, the IceCat, Toronto’s first electric ice resurfacer, will help the city go green.” Where health and air quality are concerned though, it's a price worth paying for Toronto. At $160,000 it's double the price of the traditional Zamboni brand vehicle. The IceCat is a zero-emissions all-electric ice resurfacer with a price tag that should make its customers cringe. In a place that already has 365 hybrid fleet vehicles, it was only a matter of time before the iconic ice resurfacers got clean. The city has 60 carbon monoxide spewing Zambonis to prove it. Paul said the electric machines were on order to replace the propane-powered machines before the ESPN report came out.Keeping ice rinks smooth is important in Toronto. "It might have been a cold virus going around the team," he said, noting that skaters on the ice before and after never complained of symptoms. Jones said no other incidents have been reported to him since, and he said he knows of no way to test for ultrafine pollutants. Rink officials have denied that the incident was related to their former resurfacing equipment, which ran on propane. TBSA was one of 34 ice skating rinks tested across the country.Įarlier that year, members of an East Lake hockey team got sick after a practice and complained of nausea and breathing problems. Older resurfacing machines were said to be the culprit. Carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide were reported safe on the day tested. The rink came under scrutiny in March 2009 when an ESPN crew tested the air and reported high levels of ultrafine pollution particles they said could settle deeply into the lungs and cause health problems. In addition to the current renovations, the south rink received some repair work to its subfloor heating system last summer.Īnd two years ago, the facility purchased all-electric Icecat resurfacing machines, which produce no emissions. New tempered glass will surround the rink, replacing the plexiglass that can obscure views with scratches and condensation buildup. Parents and other spectators will have a better view as they watch from the bleachers, the skating academy says. "We build up the ice from there to between 11/4 to 11/2 inches thick." "Then we turn on the refrigeration system and it freezes like concrete," Jones said. Sand will be packed between the pipes and saturated with water. After that, steel cooling pipes carrying the refrigerant were put back in place and secured. Two miles of polyvinyl chloride pipes that carry glycol (antifreeze) were installed and covered with two layers of insulation. It was popping up and the surface was uneven," he said. "The ground was freezing and it made the ice heave. TBSA, owned and operated by FLG Pinellas, otherwise known as the Fun League Group, hired Ice Builders of Syracuse, N.Y., to oversee the makeover.īesides a much-improved skating surface, there will be new rubber matting around the perimeter of the 200- by 85-foot rink, freshly painted deep blue walls, porcelain tile in the shower rooms and other touches.Īccording to rink manager Glyn Jones, the renovation was necessary because a subfloor heating system wasn't operating correctly, affecting the ice above. The renovations will cost more than $300,000, officials said.
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