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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