CH2ClOH, CHCl2OH, and CCl3OH were prepared by UV irradiation of CH3OH/Cl-2/N-2 gas miutures. Absorption cross-sections (base e) of sigma(CH2ClOH) at 1093 cm(-1) = 6.16 X 10(-19, sigma)(CHCl2OH) at 1109 cm(-1) = 1.22 X 10(-18), and sigma(CCl3OH) at 1119 cm(-1) = 8.96 X 10(-19) cm(2) molecule(-1) were determined. The chlorinated methanols decayed with first-order kinetics to HCl and the corresponding carbonyl compound. The decay rates increased with increased contact of the chloromethanols with the reactor walls, indicating that decomposition is heterogeneous. An upper limit of 1.05 x 10(-2) s(-1) was established confirm this slow rate of homogeneous decomposition.