New technology may be one answer to Peachtree City residents' fears about chlorine gas from nearby industry Photocircuits.

Telephone dialing equipment connected to chlorinating equipment can alert residents in an emergency, company officials said Monday during the first meeting of the city's Photocircuits Action Committee. Another meeting is set for next week that will include a short tour of the Photocircuits facility.

Mayor Bob Lenox chaired the meeting, which addressed concerns about chlorine storage and handling at various Photocircuits sites and how that could potentially affect residents of nearby Planterra Ridge and other subdivisions.

As much as 38 tons, in one-ton cylinders, of chlorine can be found at the Photocircuits facilities at 350 and 810 Dividend Drive at any one time, with up to 20 tons being moved in a given week, according to a Photocircuits official.

Representatives of the company outlined the training employees must go through before handling these kinds of materials, and the various safety precautions taken in handling, such as breathing apparatus and the use of a "buddy system" when operating the relevant systems.

Safety equipment, such as automatic shutoff valves, is being added and enhanced on an ongoing basis, the Photocircuits reps said.

A couple of specific incidents were brought up by local residents on the committee and were the basis for other safety-related questions.

One resident cited an evacuation of his neighborhood in 1998 due to an incident at Photocircuits. An official from the company replied that hydrochloric acid was the cause of that particular incident, and when the appropriate measures were taken at the plant, residential evacuation was really unnecessary in that instance.

As recently as February of this year, the building at 350 Dividend Drive was evacuated, which caused several committee members to take notice. They were informed that a chlorine detector in a single room was activated, and the entire building was emptied as a safety measure.

Discussion of these incidents prompted committee members to inquire about what can be done to establish some kind of early-warning system for the area, in case residents need to be notified.

It was agreed that traditional methods such as "air raid" sirens are not the best way to get this done, since they are nonspecific and often ignored. One Photocircuits official mentioned that automatic telephone dialing systems, connected to the relevant chlorine detectors, can now be programmed to contact specific sections of the phone book and notify only those directly affected by a specific event.

It was also pointed out that in a situation involving chlorine, the correct protocol is to keep residents inside their homes and away from the gases rather than attempting to evacuate them.

The committee will meet this Monday at 7:30 at the 810 Dividend Drive facility, then return to the Library for its regular meeting.