Federal Lawsuit Filed Against BioLab for Chemical Release & FireFederal Lawsuit Filed Against BioLab for Chemical Release & Fire

The Conyers, GA, plant fire spewed a chemical plume into the air, causing the entire city to evacuate and a shelter-in-place order for the wider Rockdale County.

October 21, 2024

1 Min Read
Other lawsuits have been filed on behalf of residents.
Several class-action lawsuits have also been filed against the chemical company.ligora/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Rockdale County has announced it is is launching a federal lawsuit against BioLab, stating the company is a public nuisance after a massive fire at its Conyers plant sent plumes of chemicals into the air

The September 29, 2024, chemical release at the BioLab facility in Conyers, GA, (which is the swimming pool and spa water care division of Lawrenceville-based KIK Consumer Products), caused residents to shelter in place until Oct. 17. Residents shared concerns and are still have concerns about the air quality and their health.

The fire caused a chemical reaction when the sprinkler system activated, mixing hazardous material on site and releasing it into the air.

The plumes remained in the air for several days and even drifted into various parts of metro Atlanta due to changing weather patterns. Heavy smoke caused low visibility along Interstate 20 east of Atlanta as chemicals continued spewing from the facility.

Because of the fire and the long-lasting plume of smoke, 17,000 residents were initially evacuated, and thousands were under nightly shelter-in-place orders. Rockdale school buildings closed for two weeks, and many county and state leaders have called for criminal investigations and additional regulations.

OSHA will remain on-site. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division will continue to monitor the cleanup.

As well, the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has launched an investigation into the BioLab chemical release.

This isn't the first time the CSB is investigating BioLab, as the Conyers facility as well as one in Westlake, LA, were investigated in 2020.

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