Six days after a tragic ammonia leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena left three men dead, Fernie officials say it’s too early to tell whether they’ll adopt a new refrigeration system that doesn’t use the hazardous chemical.
In a news conference with reporters Sunday, Fernie’s Chief Administrative Officer Norm McInnis said that it’s to early to comment on any system changes.
The scene around and inside the arena is in the cleanup stages, city officials confirmed.
“Over the past two days we have had the assistance of many experts on site and we are grateful for the assistance we have received,” said Fire Chief Ted Ruiter.
Samples taken from the arena have been sent to a lab for testing, which have determined that there is no longer a safety risk inside the arena.
“The evacuation order was rescinded earlier this morning,” said Ruiter. “However the arena and community centre will remain closed.”
The ammonia, which has now been extracted from the arena, contaminated the brinewater, an antifreeze agent that freezes the ice in skating rinks. In order to properly clean the rink, the brinewater will also have to be extracted and disposed as hazardous waste.
While the rink is expected to be closed for some time, residents in the nearby area were given the green light to return back to their homes after being under an evacuation order for six days.’
Seven homes remain without power.
“BC Hydro is working as quickly as possible to restore power,” said Ruiter, advising residents not to open their refrigerator and freezers.
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WorkSafeBC and RCMP are continuing separate investigations to hone in on exactly what went horribly wrong Tuesday morning.
Karyn Morash with Interior Health echoed the fire chief’s message about the area being safe to return to. While an ammonia smell may be present, she said, it is within safe levels.
“The emergency response team will continue to closely monitor the levels in the air,” she said.
McInnis was the last to speak, he was visibly distraught as he explained the memorial plans for his late colleagues.
“There’s been many times this week where words just don’t seem to be enough,” he said, thanking Teck and the other companies who stepped in to assist, residents who have helped the evacuees, and the entire community for the outpouring of love and support in the wake of this crisis.
“We also continue to support the families of Lloyd, Wayne and Jason,” said McInnis, who will be announcing memorial arrangements for the three victims in coming days.
“Lloyd will be laid to rest in High River,” he said, noting that the community memorial will be organized in conjunction with the family’s schedules, to accommodate for travel.
The community of Fernie has been mourning the loss of 59-year-old Wayne Hornquist, 52-year-old Lloyd Smith and 46-year-old Jason Podloski.
Podloski was an out-of-town contractor with CIMCO from Turner Valley, Alta. Hornquist and Smith were both residents of Fernie.
McInnis said the city has been in contact with each family to arrange memorial services that meet the family’s wishes.
The projected date will be near the first week of November.
“We’ll keep the community apprised of the plans of that event,” he said. “We know that there’s a lot of people here, from all three families that want to pay their respects.”
