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Oct 17, 2024

BioLab fire: Group raising money for gas masks for residents impacted by chemical plume | FOX 5 Atlanta

Share Rockdale County residents are wondering what is next after the BioLab chemical fire and recovery efforts. ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - A new fundraiser is pushing to help some residents of Rockdale

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Rockdale County residents are wondering what is next after the BioLab chemical fire and recovery efforts.

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - A new fundraiser is pushing to help some residents of Rockdale County still dealing with the effects of the BioLab chemical fire get gas masks.

A GoFundMe set up by Illinois activist Jada Fulcher and Atlanta-based mutual aid group Mask Bloc ATL wants to raise $10,000 to buy more than 200 masks and filters that will be distributed to Conyers residents who live near the plant.

If the gas dissipates before the goal is met, organizers say the funds will still go to impacted residents to help with any adverse health conditions.

So far, the fundraiser has collected more than $6,500 from nearly 200 donors.

MORE: Rockdale County residents seek legal counsel amid Biolab fire aftermath

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.

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.

RELATED: Rockdale County environmental official dies suddenly at Capitol meeting

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.

A shelter-in-place order is still in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for any residents who live in a two-mile radius of the plant.

The company has launched a 24/7 call center to help evaluate and process reimbursement requests from residents and businesses and answer general questions about the fire.

Local lawmakers are hearing from community members on Tuesday about what happened at BioLab in Rockdale County.

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.

Information for this story came from GoFundMe. Additional reporting came from previous FOX 5 reports and the Associated Press.

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