RUMFORD – Nine workers were examined at a hospital after being exposed to chlorine gas from a chemical accident Thursday at the NewPage paper mill.

The accident occurred around 1:20 p.m. when an employee of a specialty chemical supplier was making a routine delivery of a bleaching agent at the mill.

The chemical, sodium hypochlorite, somehow mixed with muriatic acid, causing a release of “a small amount” of chlorine, said mill spokesman Tony Lyons. Chlorine is highly toxic and can cause respiratory problems.

The employee who was delivering the bleaching agent was able to shut off a valve, and a portion of the mill was evacuated, Lyons said. About 60 workers were treated and decontaminated at the scene.

Nine workers were taken to Rumford Hospital, where they received a more extensive examination and were taken through a decontamination tent.

All nine were in stable condition and there was no immediate indication that any would be admitted, said Diane York, a nurse manager. “It looks like an observation period, at this point,” she said.

Lyons said the man who delivered the bleaching agent and suffered the greatest exposure was able to walk and talk. “That’s a good indication that the exposure was not extreme,” Lyons said.

No one beyond the accident scene was affected, Fire Chief John Woulfe said.

“The actual cloud of gas stayed confined in one building. It did not enter the environment or threaten the town,” he said.

NewPage said a decontamination team was cleaning the affected area of the mill.

Officials said first responders hold annual training for a possible chemical accident at the mill and that training paid off.