Shutdown BioLab organizers pushing for more action after chemical plant fire

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - A Rockdale County group protesting the BioLab chemical plant that caught on fire in September is joining an international coalition to push for more action to protect the county's residents.

The fires in September sent chemical-filled smoke into the air for days, leading to complaints about a strong chemical smell and haze and forcing thousands to shelter in place.

"My horse is actually in critical condition which happened days after this event," Madelyne Reece said. "I woke up windows open because it was good weather and I had that to just the pungent smell of chlorine and who knows what else."

Shutdown Biolab, a group created after the disaster, announced this week that it is joining the international group the Chemically Impacted Communities Coalition, which organizers say consists of cities impacted by corporate chemical disasters.

Also involved in the group is the Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailments, which was formed after a train carrying highly-flammable chemicals derailed in Ohio in 2023.

"We still don't have a federal disaster declaration and we're still being exposed two years later," Jami Wallace, who lives in East Palestine, said.

Months after the BioLab fire, residents are still nervous about what may be left behind.

"We’re still extremely concerned," resident Cathy Breedlove told FOX 5 in October. "This is really scary for the people and our dogs."

MORE: EPA whistleblower on BioLab debris testing: 'You can’t find what you don’t look for'

The Shutdown BioLab organizers say they hope that the new coalition can show the community that they are not alone.

"People across America have experienced this abuse, but we can do something about it. We’re uniting to call on our elected officials and our courts to be brave and protect us," said Rockdale resident and community organizer Madelyne Reece in a statement.

As the new coalition gathered for a public forum in Conyers on Tuesday, BioLab continues to face legal troubles stemming from the emergency.

Last month, BioLab reopened their distribution center, but manufacturing has still not begun.

The company is already facing multiple lawsuits, including one filed by Rockdale County commissioners. The commission chair says that lawsuit is currently in process.

But, this group wants more to be done, continuing the call for commissioners to revoke BioLab's business license.

"When I speak to our elected officials, I'm speaking specifically to the point of simply not revoking a business license for a company that has repeatedly placed the lives of individuals in danger," Iffat Walker with Community Action Now! said.

"I believe we will be in this situation again if we don't hold them accountable," Reece added.

BioLab sent FOX 5 Atlanta the following statement on Tuesday:

"Our top priority is and has always been the health and safety of the communities within which we operate, and we worked collaboratively with first responders and local, state, and federal authorities to successfully remediate the situation at our Conyers warehouse storing raw materials used in the manufacturing of products that treat swimming pools and spas. We remain firmly committed to understanding the causes of the incident and have been cooperating with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s investigation, which remains ongoing. At this time, the Conyers plant has not resumed manufacturing operations, and any resumption of these operations will only be undertaken with approval from authorities and regulators. As we move forward, we remain committed to making things right for impacted area residents and business owners."  

Investigation into the Rockdale County BioLab fire

A report issued by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board in November said the fire started on the morning of Sept. 29 after products that were reactive to water which were being stored inside one of the warehouses on the property became wet.

Parts of the building where the initial reaction happened collapsed during the fire, and the building was completely destroyed. The Plant 12 building covered an area larger than five football fields and remained an "active emergency response scene" for nearly four weeks, the report says.

BioLab makes chemicals that kill algae and bacteria in water, primarily for swimming pools and hot tubs, the report says. The company is a subsidiary of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products.

The CSB is continuing to investigate the fire and is examining measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

While the investigation is ongoing, BioLab has been working at removing debris from Rockdale County properties connected with the fire and has opened a website for claims.

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.