BioLab Chemical Fire: How The NHA Was Impacted

A month after large plumes of chemical smoke were deposited into the skies above Conyers, local residents are still waiting for updates, as many questions remain unanswered.

On the morning of September 29, the BioLab plant in Conyers, a pool supplies manufacturer owned and operated by KIK Consumer Products caught on fire. According to a BioLab statement, a sprinkler malfunction caused a chemical reaction breaking out into a major fire, releasing large plumes of red-orange and gray smoke into the skies above Rockdale County and neighboring areas. This prompted a shelter in place for the surrounding communities. The next day the smoke had made it to Atlanta itself, clouding the metro area in a chlorine haze. This incident sent a wave of concern and uncertainty across the region.

Despite the seemingly dire situation, many local agencies were silent for hours after the fire began, only issuing alerts later which were inconsistent in their timings. While Rockdale County were sending notifications frequently, counties just several miles away seemed unconcerned, prompting residents to make up their own minds and take their own precautions. This inconsistent messaging ensued for the entire following week.

Out of an abundance of caution, Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve both cancelled outdoor events that week. The National Heritage Area stretches into Rockdale County and is merely a few miles from where the fire occurred in Conyers. Rangers and Arabia Alliance staff reported smelling and tasting chlorine-like smells after the outbreak of the chemical fire, especially atop Arabia where the chemical plume miles away was visible for days.

What’s In The Air

With more questions than answers, residents have been left with a lack of guidance to get to the bottom of this disaster. Local activists and nonprofits are advocating for the prosecution of the responsible parties from KIK Consumer Products as well as the release of the full air chemical test results which are still inconclusive.

Georgia Conservation Voters, a local organization that focuses on environmental advocacy and governmental accountability, spearheaded a community-based search for answers, and have since held two different Zoom sessions inviting local advocates and experts in discussion surrounding the catastrophe. The initial meeting held on October 1 featured Dr. Ng, an Atmospheric Sciences expert from Georgia Tech, and Daniel Blackman, former Regional Administrator for the EPA Region 4. In this meeting, Dr. Ng reported that Georgia Tech’s tests had detected, in addition to chlorine, ammonia in the air around Atlanta.

The second meeting, held on October 7, analyzed the potential causes of the incident and compared it to several other BioLab fires, which occurred at the same Conyers facility in 2004 and 2020, plus another in 2020 at a separate facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana. During the 2004 fire, water runoff from the fire suppression efforts contaminated a nearby lake at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Conyers, leading to a significant fish kill.

A History Of Neglect

In response to the 2020 fire in Lake Charles, the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released a report that determined that BioLab was insufficiently prepared for extreme weather emergencies and criticized them for a delayed response. A lack of an automated extinguishing system at the facility and nonexistent regulation of chlorine under the EPA’s Risk Management Program were cited as primary obstacles in fire prevention. These fires were compared to the 2024 incident, which reportedly began on the roof of the building and was reignited after initial extinguishment by a malfunctioning sprinkler system. BioLab also has a history of being in the crosshairs of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) for repeated safety violations, like most recently in 2019 when the facility was accused of failing to provide proper hazardous chemical training and was fined $11,223.

The fire and ensuing cleanup lasted three weeks, during which time off-gassing of harmful chemicals was constant. Nearly 100,000 Rockdale County residents had to evacuate immediately after the conflagration erupted. And for three weeks, the school district switched to virtual learning for its 15,000 students while many businesses within the two-mile contamination zone had no choice but to stay closed. Many residents reported a chlorine smell and throat and nose irritation in addition to difficulty breathing. Others reported finding charred factory debris in their yards, for which a cleanup was later organized.

During the same time period, some residents who live within the Heritage Area reported similar physical symptoms. Arabia Alliance staff closely monitored the situation and kept visitors updated of the situation via social media. So far, water quality tests of the South River and other creeks and tributaries in the NHA have shown no harmful chemicals or unsafe levels of chlorine. 

Public Response

In the aftermath of the incident, the community has rallied together to make a list of demands such as the shutdown of BioLab. Other requested provisions include free health screenings for all affected residents, full compensation for workers who had to miss work, the establishment of a comprehensive evacuation plan, a declaration of a State of Emergency in Georgia by Governor Brian Kemp (who has thus far been silent about the incident), transparent and consistent reports about the cleanup and where those hazardous materials went, and the prosecution of the KIK Consumer Products executives responsible for the disaster.

BioLab officials opened a Community Resources website and an in-person center providing occasional updates on cleanup and response efforts. They also created an expense claim filing form. These resources, however, have been criticized for slow response times and inadequate transparency. 

On October 19, the Party for Socialism and Liberation Atlanta held a demonstration in downtown Conyers demanding the shutdown of BioLab. This march was attended by Rockdale County locals and residents from all over Metro Atlanta. After a march around the Olde Town Conyers district, activists and residents took to the mic to share their stories, frustrations and motivations.

Local Madelyn Reese took to the podium to report that her rescued horse had been ill and in critical condition, potentially due to the chemical fire, calling for an independent investigation not conducted by BioLab or Rockdale County.

A man expressed his frustration with the response, saying, “We were told the chemicals aren’t hazardous and yet my phone was buzzing every day, ‘Shelter In Place.’ Well, why am I sheltering in place if the chemicals aren’t hazardous?”

A farmer voiced her concern over the impact of the disaster on local agriculture, reporting illness in her farm animals and damage to her crops, as well as the devastating decision to burn her entire crop after four months of work.

The Future

Although the chemical fire has left the mainstream news spotlight, residents are still living with the uncertainty of their health, environmental impacts and potential lasting consequences of the disaster. If you were in the area during the period of the fire, continue to monitor your health, get your body tested for chemicals if you’re able to and keep up with local news and organizations like Georgia Conservation Voters that are continuing the effort to get to the bottom of what happened. As usual, the fight for justice begins and ends with the concerned.