Lawmakers hearing from residents affected by Conyers BioLab fire

ATLANTA - After more than a week of sheltering in place with potentially harmful chemicals in the air, the citizens of Rockdale County are speaking out about the impact the fire at the BioLab chemical plant in Conyers has had on their lives.

Members of the House and Senate Rockdale County Legislative Delegations, members of the DeKalb County Legislative Delegation, and members of the House Minority Caucus are holding a meeting on Tuesday at the Georgia Capitol to hear from concerned residents.

Rep. Rhonda Taylor, who represents Conyers and is the chair of the Rockdale County House Legislative Delegation, described the situation as a "terrifying time for the citizens of Rockdale County,"

"Because we know the impact is now regional, we must focus on the impact of the chemicals as it pertains to the environment and health of citizens," Taylor said in a statement. "We want to hear from anyone along the east corridor about how this incident has affected their lives and how we may be able to help."

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

The work at the site right now is focused on removing debris before crews can address the chemicals like chlorine and hydrochloric acid underneath.

Right now, it is unknown how long it will take to resolve the issue caused by the fire, but officials say they want to hear from citizens about how the fire has impacted their lives and their current questions.

"We are ready to hear the concerns from the citizens of Rockdale County," state Sen. Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) said. 

The meeting will occur at 10 a.m. in room 606 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building. 

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While the nightly shelter-in-place order for the entire county expired at 7 a.m. Monday, a new one was put in place between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. for a 2-mile zone around the facility. Businesses are asked to remain closed during that time.

Rockdale County Schools remain on virtual learning until at least Thursday.

At a press conference on Monday, Rockdale County officials said that they understand that residents and business owners are frustrated by the situation, but they are obligated to do what they think is best to keep everyone safe.

"When the temperatures drop and dew sets in, it creates a plume at ground level that it’s more safe for the citizens to be in place at that time," Rockdale EMA Director Sharon Webb said, trying to explain the rationale for the new shelter-in-place advisory.

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners is also scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and may vote to enact a state of emergency for the county.

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.