ATLANTA—A large chemical fire broke out early Sunday, Sept. 29, at a lab in Conyers, billowing out large plumes of black and orange smoke that reportedly contains chlorine and other chemicals. The fire took place at BioLab, a manufacturer of pool and spa treatment products. Officials said the smoke plumes could linger for days. Conyers is about 17 miles away (or, a 25-minute drive) from Atlanta, and even closer to its neighboring county, DeKalb County.
This is at least the second known chemical fire at BioLab since 2004. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board published its investigative report of the facility in April 2023, citing safety issues, such as “extreme weather preparation,” “regulatory coverage of reactive chemical hazards,” and more. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also filed an emergency response action report with the facility in August 2004, citing issues related to the fire that occurred in May of that year.
Meanwhile, on Monday morning, residents reported to Mainline a heavy haze in the air that smelled like “bleach” and an “indoor pool” in DeKalb County and Fulton County. Following our initial report on social media, residents shared they experienced various symptoms, including eyes burning, scratchy throats, exasperated asthma, asthma attacks, nausea, headaches, and more.
The air quality levels were relatively high in “unhealthy” levels, according to AirNow, a government website partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that monitors air quality index (AQI) according to zip code. By 3 p.m. on Monday, the AQI was back down to moderate levels. Nonetheless, Atlanta residents say they are shaken by the lack of communication by city officials and government agencies to warn them of the potential of toxic chemical exposure.
While officials ordered a shelter in place for Conyers residents, affecting thousands of people, Atlanta residents on Monday morning received little to no word from the City of Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens’ office, or any environmental agency warning them about the potential for toxic chemical exposure. (The shelter-in-place and evacuation orders have since been lifted in Rockdale County.) Some Atlanta residents reported receiving a text alert far later in the day, while others reported receiving an alert overnight between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.
The alert was labeled as a “public safety alert” sent by Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security Agency on behalf of the Environmental Protection Division, declaring a “local area emergency.” The message reads: “LOCAL AREA EMERGENCY due to ROCKDALE COUNTY BIOLAB FIRE. The EPA is MONITORING air quality for CHLORINE AND RELATED COMPOUNDS. Chemical levels are UNLIKELY TO CAUSE HARM TO MOST PEOPLE.”
On Sept. 30, DeKalb County Department of Corrections issued a statement saying that it was “aware of numerous reports of air quality concerns in the county” following the BioLab chemical fire, but said that there were “no advisories from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for DeKalb County concerning air quality.” The statement forwarded residents to call 311 to report any air quality concerns.
The Atlanta-Fulton County EMA said on X/Twitter that, “We do believe it’s related to the BioLab fire, but why we are seeing the change in conditions is what we are attempting to figure out. Latest plume modeling indications it moving to the northeast, which it is clearly not.” The post original post has been deleted.
At 2:29 p.m., Mayor Dickens reposted the text alert at that was sent to residents on X/Twitter, adding, “As we have stated this morning, we know that people are concerned so you can take additional precautions such as staying indoors with windows closed if you have medical conditions or other health concerns.”
Today, Atlanta residents continue to express their frustration and feeling shocked by the lack of communication from city officials and environmental agencies warning them of the potential of toxic exposure.
This is a developing story and we will continue to report on it as it develops.
