A recently proposed scheme for reducing ozone depletion by electron scavenging of stratospheric chlorine may be much less efficient than originally thought by its proponents. The rapid photodetachment of the negative Cl- ion by sunlight is the main problem with the scheme. Photodetachment would prevent chlorine-bearing negative ions from ever becoming the major ions, even when large numbers of electrons (of the order of 106 el- cm-3) were artificially injected into the atmosphere at an altitude of 40~45 km. This conclusion is corroborated by the observed fact that chlorine bearing negative ions are not the major anions at these altitudes under normal conditions. The possible existence of negative chlorine ion chemistry based ozone depletion cycles is a potential hazard with this scavenging scheme. This hazard could make this scheme counterproductive if it is attempted in the altitude region where atomic oxygen is an important constituent. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1993