United States
              Environmental Protection
              Agency
Chemical Emergency Preparedness
and Prevention Office
(OS-120)
June 1990
OSWER 90-008.1
Series 8. No. 1
    EPA  Chemical  Emergency  Preparedness
              and  Prevention  Advisory
              SWIMMING  POOL  CHEMICALS:  Chlorine
This advisory to Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) suggests that you pay special attention to
swimming pool chemicals this summer. Many chemicals used at swimming pools may release chlorine - an
extremely hazardous substance (EHS). Careless storing, wetting, mixing, or the contamination of any of these
chemicals or the systems used to feed them can cause fires, explosions, burns, and possibly the release of gaseous
chlorine, resulting in injuries or death. Facilities should train all employees, including summer employees, on the
safe use and potential hazards of these chemicals.

EPA stresses that although mishandling of these chemicals can cause harm, there is no cause for undue alarm about
their presence in the community.
   One example of an incident involving chemicals that release chlorine was a fire at a chemical distribution
   facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, on June 17, 1988. Rainwater leaked into a storage room where 600
   to 800 cardboard drums, each containing 300 pounds of solid swimming pool chemicals (probably
   trichloroisocyanuric acid), were kept. The chemicals exploded, starting a fire which set off the sprinkler
   system. That water soaked the remaining drums and set off more explosions, spreading the fire to other
   rooms in the building. The fire, explosions, and release to air lasted three days.  Over 25,000 people were
   evacuated; 275 people were sent to the hospital with skin bums and respiratory problems.
HOW POOL CHEMICALS WORK

At many pools, gaseous chlorine (an EHS) is fed
directly into pool water to kill bacteria and Other
microorganisms. Almost all pools using gaseous
chlorine use cylinders containing 100 to 150 pounds of
chlorine.

At other pools solid, granular, pellet, or stick
compounds (e.g., calcium hypochlorite and chlorinated
isocyanurates) or liquids (e.g., sodium hypochlorite) are
added to the water. In contact with water, these solid
and liquid chemicals dissolve  and form hypochloric acid
or chlorine ions to perform the same disinfecting
function as chlorine.
          SOME STEPS FOR LEPCs

          While emergency response plans are required to
          address gaseous chlorine (an EHS) in excess of the
          threshold planning quantity (100 pounds), they are not
          required to address these compounds under section 302
          of the Emergency Planning and Community
          Right-to-Know Act (commonly known as SARA Title
          III). However, EPA and the National Response
          Team's Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Guide
          (NRT-1) recommend that emergency plans address all
          hazardous materials that present a risk to the
          community. Since these compounds can release
          chlorine and are so widely used, EPA recommends they
          receive careful attention in both planning and
          emergency response. EPA suggests that local
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emergency planning committees (LEPCs) take the
following  steps:

• Identify the swimming pool chemicals that will
  potentially release chlorine gas.  The chemical
  names of these substances are sodium hypochlorite,
  calcium hypochlorite, and chlorinated cyanic acids.
  The box below lists some brand names that contain
  these chemicals.
    SOME BRAND NAMES
    Calcium  Hypochlorite

    Olin trademarks for calcium hypochlorite
    products  include:
        CCH®
        Sock It ®
        Prochlor®
        HTH®
        Sun Burst®
Pace®
Connstant Chlor®
Sun Bum®
Pulsa®
    PPG trademarks for calcium hypochlorite
    products include:
        Induclor®         Pittclor®
        Sustain®®         Zappit®
        Pittabs®           Repak

    Chlorinated Isocyanurates

    Olin trademarks for chlorinated
    isocyanurates include:
        CDB®
        CDB  Clearon®
        Constant  Chlof®
        Sun®
HTH®
Pace®
Prochlor®
    Monsanto trademark for chlorinated
    isocyanurates is: ACL®
    Note: Many of these pool chemicals are
    sold to processors and repackers who resell
    under various brand names.  Such packages
    will always identify the product inside by its
    chemical name.
  Review Title III plans to ensure that facilities
  handling large quantities of these  chemicals are
  covered and that response issues have been
  addressed.  Facilities that should be checked include:
  - Swimming pool chemical distributors;

  - Swimming pool supply stores;

  - Swimming pools located, for example, in health
     spas, community centers, schools, and country
     clubs;

  - Public drinking water systems;

  - Waste treatment facilities;' and

  - Hazardous waste treatment facilities.

• If appropriate, inform owners of residential pools of
  the hazards  related to chlorine.

• Be sure that the facilities covered by sections 302,
  311, and 312 of SARA Title III have provided
  adequate information about the chemicals on hand
  directly to the LEPC and local fire departments.
  Because many swimming pool chemicals may not be
  listed as extremely hazardous substances and in some
  cases reporting thresholds may not be met, you may
  need to ask facility representatives for chemical
  information. Also,  ask about facility  emergency
  response plans, so  the LEPC and  fire departments
  can use them to prepare  pre-incident plans.


SOME STEPS  FOR  FACILITIES

• In cooperation with LEPCs and local response
  officials, ensure attention to storage methods, fire
  safety systems, and handling and use of chemicals.
  Be sure that the likelihood of releases during
  handling and storage is minimized. Look especially
  at situations where water  is a factor since most dry
  chemicals containing chlorine are  reactive with
  water.

  o Be sure the area used to store potential chlorine
     releasing chemicals is immune to any influx of
     water from such things as a leaking roof,
     uncovered windows, leaking pipes, fire sprinklers,
     hose outlet in the vicinity, splashing from the pool,
     flooding of the floor (keep the containers off the
     floor), and the effect of exceptionally high
     humidity  on open containers. Be aware of
     potential explosive  situations. Explosions have
     been known to occur when a pool user switched
     from one type of chlorine tablet in a pool
     chlorinator to a different type without thoroughly
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     cleaning the device. Even similar chemicals like
     the chlorinated cyanuric acids may react violently
     with other types of chlorinated cyanurate
     compounds or with sodium or calcium
     hypochlorites.

  o Cylinders of chlorine gas should be stored
     separately  from all other compressed gases,
     hydrocarbons (gasoline or other fuels), ether,
     turpentine, and metal filings, shavings, or dust.
     Contact with these substances poses unusual fire
     and explosion hazards.

  o Cylinders of chlorine gas should be stored
     outdoors or in well-ventilated,  detached, or
     segregated areas of noncombustible construction
     to prevent extensive damage from explosion and
     fire.
O Check that no containers are leaking, broken, or
  torn. Ensure that only one container of a product
  is unsealed at any time.
Refer to Department of Transportation (DOT)
regulations for types of containers that must be used
for shipping swimming pool chemicals ~ both in the
gaseous as well as the solid compound forms. For
example, DOT requires metal barrels or drums and
packaging to protect against permeation of moisture
for calcium hypochlorite and trichloroisocyanuric
acid.
Ensure an adequate training program to educate all
facility personnel on the hazards of chlorine gas as
well as chlorine- producing chemicals.
    OTHER INFORMATION

    Information on chlorine and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act can be found in
    many readily available sources.  The following is a listing of just a few of these sources:
    • Safety Guidelines for Residential Swimming Pool
      Chlorination (pamphlet 81) and/or Chlorine Safety
      at Non-residential Swimming Pools (pamphlet 82),
      both available free  of charge from The Chlorine
      Institute, 2001  L Street, NW, Washington, DC
      20036, (202) 775-2790. The Chlorine Institute
      has extensive literature on chlorine and chlorine
      cylinders.
       1987 Emergency Response Guidebook, published by
       DOT.  (The 1990 version is currently being
       printed.) Copies are available by writing to:
         Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation
         (DHM-51)
         Research and Special Programs Administration
         U.S. Department of Transportation
         Washington, DC 20590
 Response Information Data Sheets found in
 CAMEO™ II, a computer-based planning and
 response management program, that is available
 from The National Safety Council, 444 N. Michi-
 gan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.

 CHEMTREC, a 24-hour, seven-day a week
 emergency hotline that provides information and
 assistance to responders during an emergency.
 Contact  (800) 424-9300 or (202) 483-7616.
 (Note: CHEMTREC is for emergency use only.)

 Your County or State Health Agency.

 Your State Emergency Response Commission.

 EPA's Emergency Planning and Community
 Right-to-Know Information Hotline at (800)
 535-0202, or (202) 479-2449 from Monday to
 Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Eastern time.
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   This advisory is the first of a new series which EPA is publishing to alert LEPCs to hazards posed by hazard-
   ous substances that have  resulted in accidents where death, injury, or evacuations have occurred.  LEPCs
   are responsible for emergency planning for hazardous materials and for collection and managing data on
   hazardous chemicals present in  their community.

   Please send  comments on  this Advisory  and suggestions for future subjects to:

                                           CEPP Advisory
                                           EPA OS-120
                                           401 M Street,  SW
                                           Washington, DC  20460
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