Lawsuit filed to permanently shut down bio chemical plant after hazardous fire that evacuated 17,000 people
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Rockdale County in the United States is taking legal action against BioLab and its parent company, filing a federal lawsuit to declare the facility a public nuisance after a fire which led to the evacuation of 17,000 people.
Illustration Credit:
A generic illustration of a burning bio chemical lab facility. After an idea by Bjorn Ulfsson / CTIF, executed by Chat GPT. The illustrations are not attempting to depict the affected facility mentioned in the text.
On the morning of September 29, a sprinkler system failure at the BioLab facility on Old Covington Highway in Conyers set off a chain reaction, releasing a massive, dangerous chemical smoke plume.
The malfunction also ignited a fire on the roof, which soon collapsed under the pressure. The plume carried a strong chlorine odour, blanketing the surrounding area for miles.
In response, authorities evacuated 17,000 nearby residents and ordered more than 70,000 others to remain indoors for several days as the situation unfolded. The shelter-in-place directive was not lifted until the danger had passed, and for some, it was not lifted for more than two weeks.
The county seeks compensation for damages and a permanent shutdown of the plant, citing a history of negligence.
"BioLab has had four incidents of negligence over the past two decades. The risk they pose to our community now far outweighs any potential benefits," said Commissioner Sherri L. Washington. She emphasized that the company’s failure to make necessary safety changes has pushed the county to take this drastic step.
"BioLab has had at least four instances of negligence in the 20 years that it has operated in this community," she said, adding that "at this point their risk to our community far outweighs any benefit that we could possibly glean from their operation in this county", Fox News reports.
Commissioner Doreen Williams echoed the concerns. "This isn't just bad for Rockdale—it's bad for the state and the nation. BioLab's neglect endangers our lives, and we need them out."
The county is partnering with the Napolil Shkollnik Law Firm, which specializes in environmental cases, to investigate the September 29 incident.
Sprinkler malfunction led to 17,000 evacuated and 70,000 ordered to shelter in place for more than two weeks
A sprinkler malfunction at the BioLab plant led to a chemical reaction, resulting in a hazardous smoke plume and a fire that collapsed part of the building. More than 17,000 residents were evacuated, with 70,000 others ordered to shelter in place.
The shelter order on September 29 was not completely lifted until October 17, but concerns about long-term health effects continue, as reported by Atlanta News First.
Almost 2,000 kilos of Trichlor in the plant - 3000 liters of water used to neutralize
Rockdale County Fire Rescue Chief Marian McDaniel said four million pounds (1,8 million kilograms) of the chemical Trichlor was in the plant at the time of the fire and that 787 gallons (almost 3000 liters) of water was used to neutralize the chemical before it was being removed to a hazmat waste facility.
BioLab declined to provide updates during a press conference and has yet to reimburse the county for the costly emergency response. The county plans to hold a town hall to hear from affected residents.
"This is the fourth major incident since 2004, and we can’t let this continue," said Washington. "We owe it to our community to stop this ongoing threat."
Rita Tucker Williams is a personal injury lawyer, who has dozens of clients investigating claims against BioLab.
“Even though they’ve gotten rid of the smoke, the people have been exposed,” she said. “
Their land, children, crops and everything around them has been affected.”
BioLab issued a statement, noting its collaboration with the county during the emergency and its commitment to supporting affected residents and businesses. However, they did not comment on the lawsuit, stating they had yet to review the complaint.
Illustration Credit:
A generic illustration of a burning bio chemical lab facility. After an idea by Bjorn Ulfsson / CTIF, executed by Chat GPT.