BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Western New York state lawmaker is seeking tougher health and safety rules for ice rinks, particularly when it comes to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning.
State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace wants rink operators to be required to maintain air quality devices and document air quality results. This comes after over 100 people, including children, were affected by carbon monoxide poisoning in December at Holiday Twin Rinks in Cheektowaga .
If the law is passed, penalties for not keeping up on air quality could lead to fines upwards of $2,000. Ice arenas would also need to be inspected by a public health official and get a certificate of acceptable air quality.
“Every year, dozens of people become sick from toxic fumes in indoor ice rinks. It’s so common that the US Ice Rink Association recommends that certain steps be taken routinely to ensure safe air quality at indoor ice rinks,” Wallace said in a release. “From the kids who skate at these rinks to the parents and grandparents who come watch them, New York must make sure we are doing everything we can to protect folks from this preventable danger.”