Campus Alert Archive
USM

100 Pounds of Ammonia Released at USM Ice Arena Force Friday Night Evacuation, Hospitalize Two

MEhazmatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of July 3, 2016, an overheated cooling unit at the University of Southern Maine Ice Arena in Gorham caused a valve to release approximately 100 pounds of anhydrous ammonia inside the building, prompting the evacuation of about 50 people from the Gorham campus. A USM employee who was directly exposed to the ammonia and a firefighter were both hospitalized for evaluation.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
2
Institution
University of Southern Maine
Public Masters · ME
~7,600 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTUnknown
Approximate reconstruction234 chars
USM Emergency: An ammonia leak has occurred at the USM Ice Arena on the Gorham campus. Approximately 50 people have been evacuated from the area. Avoid the Gorham campus ice arena. Emergency responders are on scene. Updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

An overheated cooling unit for the arena's ice machine caused a valve to release approximately 100 pounds of anhydrous ammonia inside the building on Friday evening July 3, 2016.
One USM employee who was directly exposed to the ammonia was hospitalized for evaluation, as was a firefighter who responded to the scene.
The timing on a pre-holiday Friday evening meant approximately 50 people were in or around the arena when the release occurred.
ALL CLEARUnknown
Approximate reconstruction249 chars
USM Emergency Update: The ammonia leak at the USM Ice Arena has been contained by Gorham Fire Department and hazmat responders. The campus evacuation has ended. The two individuals taken to the hospital are expected to recover. The area is now safe.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Gorham Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre confirmed the leak was caused by an overheated cooling unit that caused a valve to release ammonia, a common refrigeration failure mode in ice rinks.
The two people hospitalized, including the USM employee and a firefighter, were evaluated for ammonia exposure and were expected to recover without life-threatening injury.
Context

Background

On the evening of July 3, 2016, an overheated cooling unit at the University of Southern Maine Ice Arena in Gorham caused a valve to release approximately 100 pounds of anhydrous ammonia inside the building. Gorham Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre confirmed the cause and described it as a refrigeration system malfunction, the type of failure that can occur during summer months when campus ice arenas continue operating for youth hockey camps, figure skating, and public skating while air temperatures are highest and cooling demands on the refrigeration plant are greatest. Anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas with a pungent odor detectable at concentrations as low as 5 parts per million; the immediately dangerous to life and health threshold is 300 ppm. One USM employee who was directly exposed was hospitalized for evaluation along with a firefighter. Approximately 50 people were evacuated from the campus. The incident is representative of a hazmat category rarely covered in campus emergency literature: refrigeration-plant ammonia releases at university-operated ice arenas, which occur across the country every few years but generate limited documentation in campus emergency archives.
Analysis

Key Findings

The ammonia release was caused by an overheated cooling unit, a heat-related failure more likely in summer when ambient temperatures stress refrigeration systems most heavily.
Two people were hospitalized, including a USM employee who was directly exposed, distinguishing this incident from the more common near-miss ammonia leaks at campus ice facilities.
The incident occurred on a pre-holiday Friday evening, complicating response coordination and highlighting the year-round staffing challenge at campus ice arenas that operate in summer.
Outcome
Approximately 50 people were evacuated from the USM Gorham campus. One USM employee exposed to the ammonia and one firefighter were hospitalized for evaluation. The Gorham Fire Department and hazmat teams contained the release. No life-threatening injuries were reported.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Ammonia leak causes evacuation at USM Gorham -- WGME
    wgme.com
Tags
ammonia-leakice-rinkhazmatrefrigerationevacuationsummer-incidentcampus-ice-arena
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion