Attorney Discusses Possible Legal Consequences of Chlorine Incident

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah – Pleasant Grove city officials expect an investigation into what caused high levels of chlorine to be pumped into a city pool on Tuesday.

Dozens of people, mostly children, went to the hospital to be treated. As of Wednesday evening, an Intermountain Medical Center spokesperson said two people were still in the hospital.

Kelsey Densley said she took her three children to Pleasant Grove Memorial Pool Tuesday. Just before 5:00, she said she heard the whistles blow and people started packing their things. She didn’t know what was happening until she noticed several children were sick.

“We noticed two little girls sitting on the bench, coughing and coughing with red eyes,” Densley said.

Densley said her children were fine when they returned home. About five hours later, though, she said her daughter became sick.

“She was nauseous, laying in the bathroom with a headache, super-sick and flushed and she was shaking,” Densley said.

She said she took her daughter to the hospital to be checked out. They were given medicine and sent home.

Pleasant Grove city officials told KSL people who went to the hospital could file claims with the city. Salt Lake City attorney Greg Skordas said the  costs may not be immediately clear.

“Sometimes we also have to look at what the long-term impact is. Are there going to be future medical expenses? Are there going to be future damages? Is there something ongoing with these people that we don’t know about yet?” Skordas said.

Skordas said people who might file lawsuits over the incident would have to prove the city was careless.

“If the city can show that they did everything right, but that something happened out of their control, they may not be liable,” Skordas said.