Clorox Ending Chlorine Use, Shipping

The Clorox Co. says it will stop using chlorine in its signature bleach product because of growing concerns over the safety and oversight of transporting the product on railroads.

The company says it will phase in a switch from chlorine to other chemicals in its Clorox bleach at its main factory in Fairfield, Calif., over the next six months and at other sites in coming years.

Company spokesman Dan Staublin told The Associated Press the household product maker’s goal is “ultimately to eliminate the transportation of chlorine from our U.S. supply chain.”

The shipping of chlorine and other potentially hazardous chemicals has come under greater scrutiny in recent years following fatal accidents on the rails, including one in Graniteville, S.C., in 2005 in which eight people died. Chlorine gas was among the chemicals released in that accident.

“By transitioning to a new manufacturing process now, that allows us to stay ahead of regulations and potentially avoid costs," Staublin told the AP. "With the regulatory environment we're in now, the transportation of different chemicals is being scrutinized maybe more than ever before.”