Campus Alert Archive
UNH

Ammonia Concentrations at 1,000 ppm Force Whittemore Center Closure and Multi-Agency Hazmat Response

NHhazmatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On February 9, 2024, a significant ammonia leak at the Whittemore Center Arena on the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham prompted a major hazmat response from Durham Fire Department and the New Hampshire START Haz-Mat team, with ammonia concentrations reaching 1,000 parts per million in the refrigeration control room -- more than three times the immediately dangerous to life and health threshold. The university issued a community advisory urging everyone to avoid the area surrounding the arena.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of New Hampshire
Public R2 · NH
~13,000 studentsUNH Alert
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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction210 chars
UNH Alert: An ammonia leak has been reported at the Whittemore Center Arena. Please avoid the area surrounding the Whittemore Center. Durham Fire Department and hazmat teams are responding. This is not a drill.

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

The leak was reported at approximately 1:35 PM EST on February 9, 2024, with Durham Fire Department arriving to find ammonia concentrations of 1,000 ppm in the refrigeration control room -- more than three times the IDLH threshold of 300 ppm.
The Whittemore Center houses both the main arena for UNH men's and women's hockey and the Hamel Recreation Center used for intramurals, public skating, and fitness, meaning the potential exposure population during normal hours was significant.
Ammonia at 1,000 ppm causes immediate respiratory irritation and can incapacitate individuals who are not wearing appropriate respiratory protection; evacuation of the building and surrounding area was the correct protective action.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction375 chars
UNH Emergency Update: The ammonia leak at Whittemore Center is being actively mitigated by Durham Fire Department and the NH START Haz-Mat team, with additional resources from Dover and off-duty firefighters. Ammonia concentrations in the control room were found to be significantly elevated. Continue to avoid the area. Updates will be provided as the situation is resolved.

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

NH START (Special Teams and Resources in Transportation) is New Hampshire's primary hazmat response unit, activated when ammonia concentrations significantly exceed safe levels.
Off-duty Durham firefighters were called back and resources from the city of Dover were requested, indicating the severity of the leak required personnel beyond what normal on-duty staffing could provide.
The Whittemore Center is a large facility on the eastern edge of the UNH campus; its refrigeration plant uses industrial-scale anhydrous ammonia for the main arena ice surface.
Context

Background

On February 9, 2024, the Whittemore Center Arena at the University of New Hampshire in Durham experienced a dangerous ammonia leak in its refrigeration plant, with concentrations detected at 1,000 parts per million in the control room. The IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) level for ammonia is 300 ppm, established by NIOSH; the detected concentration was more than three times this threshold, requiring full hazmat protocols. The Durham Fire Department and New Hampshire's START Haz-Mat team responded, supplemented by resources from Dover and off-duty Durham firefighters, reflecting the scale of the response needed. The community was urged by UNH to avoid the area surrounding the arena while emergency services worked to isolate and mitigate the leak. The Whittemore Center, which opened in 1995, is a 6,500-seat arena serving as home to UNH Wildcat men's and women's hockey and also housing the Hamel Recreation Center for student and community recreation. Campus ice arena ammonia incidents are particularly challenging because the refrigeration systems that maintain ice surfaces use industrial quantities of anhydrous ammonia, and the arenas occupy large enclosed spaces with significant human occupancy.
Analysis

Key Findings

Ammonia concentrations of 1,000 ppm -- more than three times the IDLH threshold -- required a multi-agency hazmat response including the NH START Haz-Mat team and mutual aid from Dover.
The Whittemore Center Arena's dual function as both a hockey venue and a student recreation center means any refrigeration emergency has the potential to affect a broad cross-section of the campus population.
The incident is among the most severe campus ice arena ammonia leak events documented, based on measured concentration levels significantly exceeding IDLH.
Outcome
The Durham Fire Department, NH START Haz-Mat team, and additional resources from Dover and off-duty Durham firefighters worked to contain and mitigate the ammonia leak. The Whittemore Center Arena was closed during the response. No life-threatening injuries to the public were reported.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Breaking News: Emergency Response to Ammonia Leak at UNH Arena -- RNHSA Media Group / NewsBreak
    original.newsbreak.com
  2. Source
    Whittemore Center -- Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
ammonia-leakice-rinkhazmatrefrigerationIDLHmulti-agency-responsecampus-ice-arenaevacuation
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion