MILLVILLE, COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A community pool shut down after a chlorine leak was detected by borough employees earlier Thursday.
Some 40 homes were also evacuated as a precaution to that leak.
The leak is now clear and cleaned up, but for much of the afternoon, the area surrounding the pool was blocked off.
This was the scene Thursday afternoon outside Little Fishing Creek Area Pool in Millville.
Fire officials say a chlorine leak was detected in the pool's chemical room before 10:00 a.m. during a routine maintenance check.
Business making light of sinkholes on Horton Street
"That chemical, that liquid chemical, which was a small amount, ten gallons or less, was mixing with what we believe was soda ash, an off gas, and created a vapor hazard as well," explained Chief Jeremy Reese, Millville Community Fire Company.
That employee wasn't injured, but left the area, evacuated pool employees, and contacted the Millville Fire Department.
Two firefighters responded in protective gear, shutting off the pump and isolating the leak before contacting the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency.
In a statement to 28/22 News, DEP said in part:
DEP conducted air monitoring at the site from the time of arrival, and the results have indicated no concern. A PEMA certified hazardous materials contractor was contracted by local emergency officials to conduct cleanup operations.
DEP Spokesperson Megan Lehman
A 350-foot evacuation zone was put into effect, temporarily displacing around 100 people from 40 homes, Millville Area elementary and high schools, and a local daycare center.
"Fire company knocked on the door, told us we had to evacuate, there was an incident at the pool. At that time nobody elaborated because they wanted to get everybody out, so we evacuated to the fire hall," recalled Ron Summers, Millville.
One woman we spoke with says she was not home at the time, but that she began receiving phone calls from family members, telling her her road was shut down. That's when she says she immediately began fearing the worst.
"I just all of a sudden get all these text messages from my family asking me 'what's going on in Millville? Are you okay? Is your family okay?' and so it was kind of scary," said Janell Pegg, Millville.
No injuries were reported and people living in the area were let back into their homes around 4:00 p.m.
The pool is still closed, and according to Millville fire chief, will remain closed for at least a few days.
The full statement from the DEP reads:
DEP was notified late Thursday morning of a chlorine HAZMAT incident at the Little Fishing Creek Area Swimming Pool, a public pool located in Millville Borough, Columbia County. The incident involved a chlorine release inside the structure where the pool chemicals are stored. Evacuations were conducted by local authorities prior to DEP’s arrival.
DEP’s Emergency Response Team was dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, DEP began to assess the situation and coordinate with local officials. DEP conducted air monitoring at the site from the time of arrival, and the results have indicated no concern. A PEMA certified hazardous materials contractor was contracted by local emergency officials to conduct cleanup operations.
As of 3:46 pm, this incident was terminated and the chemicals in question were collected and containerized. The residents have been cleared to return to their homes. DEP will coordinate with incident command for final interviews.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
