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Hazardous debris pops up in yards near BioLab fire
Residents who live near the Rockdale County BioLab that caught fire say they're finding black chunks of unknown substance in their yards. Officials have told them it's hazardous and not to touch it, but one resident says no one has come by to remove it from her land.
ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - A week after a fire at the BioLab chemical plant sent a large plume of toxic smoke billowing over Rockdale County, residents are reporting the discovery of black, charred debris in their yards, raising new health concerns.
The ominous dark cloud that loomed over the county for days has largely dissipated. But residents still say there's a slight haze as chlorine continues to settle. Some neighbors are experiencing persistent symptoms.
Cathy Breedlove, a resident who says she and her husband found mysterious chunks on her property, expressed concerns about the health of her family and the five dogs she fosters.
"They are not allowed in my big backyard which is 3.5 acres," Breedlove said she was told. "They talk about the air quality but we don’t hear mention of what these big black chunks of ash are."
She reached out to both the Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and was instructed not to touch the "hazardous" material and that the EPA would conduct an examination.
As of Oct. 6, no one had responded to the scene.
"We were told that EPA would come to get samples and test them, but we haven’t heard from the EPA," she stated.
Breedlove now has her dogs on a pretty tight leash with the toxic soot scattered across their neighborhood located about five miles away from the chemical plant.
"We’re hoping for answers—how safe is it? I would be just very disturbed if a dog, one of my dogs, had it in their mouth ... very concerned about my dogs," Breedlove shared with FOX 5 Atlanta.
A spokesperson said those concerns are being addressed. A statement from the company reads in-part:
"BioLab is actively removing debris from public areas, roads and public land where wind has carried materials offsite. In addition to this, BioLab has established a debris removal service for community members who wish to have fire debris cleared from their property."
It's still unclear what the substance is. As anxiety within the community rises, BioLab is expected to open a new office to address to take questions from residents and act as a liaison concerning any potential risks posed by the hazardous chemicals. Residents can send requests to pick up debris by emailing DebrisPickup@biolabinc.com.