UMD Closes Ice Rink After Mold Is Found
About 90 percent of UMD students take part in recreation and outdoor activities.
DULUTH, Minn. – The ice rink in the Sports and Health Center on the University Minnesota Duluth (UMD) campus is closed after mold was found in the ceiling tiles last week.
The closed area covers about 20,000 to 30,000 square feet.
“The type of mold that we found is the most common organism in the outdoor environment during the spring and fall seasons,” said UMD Marketing & Public Relations Director Lynne Williams. “So if somebody who had been exposed, they would’ve seen an immediate reaction and it would’ve been similar to allergy like symptoms. We don’t foresee this having any long–term effects.”
The indoor track and climbing wall are also closed.
Contractors are now ready to start removing the mold next week. The ice has already been taken out.
UMD leaders expect the facility will open in about a month, but the long term plan includes taking a look at the humidity control.
“This facility is heavily used, so it really is unfortunate. There’s a lot of programs that use the facility both on campus and out in the community,” said Williams. “So what they’ve done is, our sports and outdoors program has worked really hard to find other ice time in the community to recreate those club sports or activities that were using the ice.”
The ice rink is used by the hockey and figure skating club. Surveys show about 90 percent of UMD students take part in recreation and outdoor activities.
