DULUTH - The Environmental Protection Agency fined the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) recently for federal violations related in part to a July 2021 ammonia leak.
The chiller that cools an area that includes the DECC's Curling Club rink leaked the hazardous substance, leading to an evacuation and temporary closure of Harbor Drive behind the complex. No one was injured by the leak.
The EPA fined the DECC $118,000 for failing to report the release of ammonia, along with two years of required documentation for sulfuric acid and storage of other onsite emergency and hazardous chemicals.
"It is imperative for facilities storing hazardous materials such as anhydrous ammonia to follow the regulations designed to protect communities and the environment from potential risks," EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore said in a news release. "Improving the DECC's preparedness for accidental chemical releases helps make Duluth safer."
DECC Executive Director Dan Hartman said facility staff wasn't aware of the full scope of work the federal government required in handling the leak. DECC staff also learned from the EPA that for several years they hadn't reported a type of battery its Zambonis use, among other materials.
Hartman said much of the fine stemmed from that reporting error, but the DECC wasn't fined for each of those years.
Hartman said the DECC has new policies related to filing annual reports and ensuring rules are followed.
"We have learned a lot from this, but going forward we will definitely be a better and safer organization because of it," Hartman said.
The broken chiller from 1976 has since been replaced, leased for $800,000 with a portion paid by the Duluth Curling Club.
