BioLab fire: Company launches 24/7 call center for Rockdale County residents

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - BioLab, the company that owns the Conyers chemical plant that caught fire and left residents sheltering in place for days, is launching a 24/7 call center for residents and businesses affected by the disaster.

Starting on Tuesday at 10 a.m., residents will be able to call (678) 301-2359 to speak with a live representative 24 hours per day. 

The company says the call center will assist with evaluating and processing reimbursement requests from residents and businesses and answer general questions about the fire.

"Our team at BioLab is committed to making things right for the residents and business community impacted by the fire at our warehouse," said Michael Sload, CEO of BioLab’s parent company, KIK Consumer Products. "We recognize that members of our community have questions and concerns, and we want them to know that we hear them and are committed to being there for them. This call center is one of many resources we have underway to assist our community, based on our ongoing dialogue with residents, government officials, and other stakeholders. We will continue to do whatever it takes – for as long as it takes – to support our community."

MORE: Shelter-in-place order remains in place for 2-mile radius around BioLab facility

A new shelter-in-place order was put in effect between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. for a 2-mile zone around the facility. Businesses in the area are asked to remain closed during that time.

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The company says it is offering a debris removal service for any community members who have found material that the wind has carried off the plant's site and is working to open an in-person Community Assistance Center.

BioLab has also appointed an employee to be its Community Liaison to speak with residents and answer questions.

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners and state lawmakers have planned separate meetings at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to discuss the fire.

What happened at BioLab?

BioLab’s website says it is the swimming pool and spa water care division of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products. The Conyers facility opened in 1973.

The fire started around 5 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, when a sprinkler malfunction caused water to come into contact with a water-reactive chemical. BioLab employees and nearby residents were evacuated, and several roads were closed, including Interstate 20 in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill. The interstate remained closed until early Monday morning. 

Residents north of the interstate between Sigman Road and I-20 were within the evacuation zone, while those south of I-20 were deemed safe. Local officials, including Conyers Mayor Vince Evans and Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett, urged residents not to enter the evacuation zone for safety reasons.

Officials estimated the number of people forced to evacuate their homes was about 17,000.

During a press conference on the morning of Sept. 29, officials explained that the fire began when a malfunctioning sprinkler released water onto a reactive chemical, causing a small fire and a large plume of smoke. Though the initial fire was controlled around noon, it reignited as chemicals were being removed from the building. The fire was fully extinguished between 4 and 5 p.m.

Since the fire, a plume of smoke has remained in the air, causing thick smoke to spread across nearby counties. Residents reported difficulty breathing, with some describing the smoke as "thick and heavy." Some noted that it left a noticeable taste and could be felt on the skin. "It almost looked like a whiteout condition," one resident said, describing how visibility dropped to as little as 10 to 15 feet.

"There is product under the building debris that is disturbed during the cleanup process," county officials said. "Until the cleanup is complete, there will be fluctuations in the plume."

History of incidents at BioLab

This is not the first fire to break out and cause serious health concerns at the plant.

In May 2004, a huge fire in a warehouse at the Conyers complex set off multiple explosions and prompted the evacuation of 300 people as a chlorine-laden cloud rolled through the area. The plume of green, gray and white smoke stretched 10 miles long. At least nine people went to hospitals with complaints of burning eyes and lungs.

After the explosion, the company agreed to a settlement of $7 million.

In June 2015, six Rockdale County firefighters were hurt in a fire at the complex, but none of the injuries were life-threatening, the Rockdale Citizen reported at the time. Another fire the following year prompted some voluntary evacuations near the plant.

In September 2020, a chemical fire at the same plant in Conyers prompted authorities to shut down both directions of Interstate 20 during the morning rush hour. Inside the plant, BioLab workers used forklifts to try and move chemicals away from decomposing chemicals to prevent the catastrophe, but their forklifts were sliding on the wet floor and fumes of chemicals were forming. Firefighters’ access to the situation was hindered by poorly stacked pallets of materials, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board later determined. Nine firefighters were evaluated at hospitals after inhaling hazardous vapors.

Multiple class action lawsuits have since been filed on behalf of residents of Rockdale County and the surrounding area.