BioLab Inc Fire In Conyers Exposes Inadequacy Of Local & State Emergency Management Agency Offices

Article posted with permission from the author, Suzanne Hamner

Thank the Lord our area in Georgia was spared the devastation of Hurricane Helene that Florida, much of South Central Georgia, parts of North and South Carolina, and Tennessee experienced. Unfortunately, our area suffered a disaster in the form of a chemical fire on September 29, 2024, that occurred at Biolab, Inc., owned by Kik Consumer Products, in Conyers, GA, that resulted in evacuations, shelter-in-place orders, Interstate 20 closure in the area, and massive traffic delays resulting in thousands being exposed to harmful chemical fumes. I was one of those who was exposed to harmful fumes that resulted in seeking medical treatment.

But, this story is not about me or my injury. It is about a chemical plant completed in 1973 sitting in the middle of Conyers, GA, approximately 15 miles from my current home, that has had multiple OSHA violations determined to be “severe”, several fires – one in 2004 investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, thousands of dollars in fines, and a $7 million dollar settlement (unknown to whom) from the 2004 fire. Knowing this, local government officials have failed to address the full need in an emergency surrounding this plant to deal with travelers going through the area, rerouting traffic safely, and an adequate evacuation zone. Needless to say, this is concerning to residents of Rockdale and the surrounding counties of Newton, Gwinnett, Walton, Henry, and Dekalb counties, which border Rockdale. Biolab, Inc. manufactures pool and spa treatment supplies. According to a 2018 OSHA report, the Conyers Biolab, Inc. facility deals with Bromine along with Chlorine.

While returning from Ohio, interstate overhead message boards in Tennessee indicated an area of I-40 was closed with alternate routes provided. Yet, no interstate overhead message board in Georgia on any road traveled indicated there was a problem with a chemical fire causing any interstate or road closures. This would be important for travelers to know coming in from other states and areas. Since the fire had started at around 5 AM on Sunday morning and then reignited at 12 Noon, emergency management agencies could have used the overhead interstate message boards to inform travelers of issues. But, that was not the case. Instead, travelers received messages related to hands-free devices, movement speed of traffic on connecting interstates, closing of express lanes, etc. Nothing mentioned a chemical fire resulting in closure of Interstate 20 going both directions near the fire. The only mention of a problem was on an I-20 eastbound message board after the I-285 interchange that indicated a 40-minute drive to an exit that was only 3 miles away. Interstate 20 was closed for approximately 10 miles in both directions from the Salem Road exit on the east side of Conyers to the Turner Hill Road exit on the west side of Conyers.

• Buy All-American!
• Bring health and vitality back to your body with these non-transdermal patches
• Get your Vitamin B17 & Get 10% Off With Promo Code TIM
• How To Protect Yourself From 5G, EMF & RF Radiation – Use promo code TIM to save $$$
• The Very Best All-American Made Supplements On The Maret
• Grab This Bucket Of Heirloom Seeds & Save with Promo Code TIM
• Here’s A Way You Can Stockpile Food For The Future
• Stockpile Your Ammo & Save $15 On Your First Order
• Preparing Also Means Detoxifying – Here’s One Simple Way To Detoxify
• The Very Best Chlorine Dioxide
• All-American, US Prime, High Choice Grass-Fed Beef with NO mRNA, hormones or antibiotics… ever!

In Georgia, there is no radio station regarding traffic messages or emergency alerts as is found in other states such as Tennessee and Kentucky. Travelers would have no indication of a problem until they were caught up in it, which happened to thousands of travelers on Sunday, including myself. Numerous county deputy sheriff cars passed by as travelers crept about 1-2 mph along the interstate. A truck driver that I was able to flag to speak with indicated there was a fire and the interstate was closed. Car tags indicated many individuals from South Carolina, Indiana, New York, and Tennessee were traveling through.It was only after calling home to inform my mother of being late that I learned of the chemical fire at the Biolab, Inc. facility. Since the interstate was closed, it would make sense there would be first responders that would route travelers safely around the area to avoid contact with toxic fumes. What would make sense did not happen.

After trying to navigate my way around a side road, I noticed cars were being turned back. According to the deputy stationed there at Mall Parkway just outside of Rockdale County, the area was being evacuated and no one was allowed through. When asked about a safe route to get further east to return home, he stated he did not know and everyone had to turn back. When pressed further, he said just to go back from where you came. There were no detour signs for a safe route to get around the affected area. For travelers not familiar with the area, encountering the deputy on the westside at Mall Parkway, there was no help on safe routes to travel. Remember, the fire started at 5 AM, reignited at noon, and wasn’t considered “controlled” until 4 PM. I was stuck from 3:30 PM until 5:45 PM before being turned around. There was a strange odor in the air during the time travelers were stuck on the west side going east on I-20.

The route taken home took me through Gwinnett and Walton counties. There was an odor in the air going through both those counties and a cloudy haze was present on Hwy 81 S, the route taken home in Walton County.

An hour after arriving home, I was being seen by emergency medical services.

Both Georgia Emergency Management (GEMA) and Rockdale Emergency Management agencies (RCEMA) failed royally in their handling of travelers along the affected route. Moreover, the RCEMA only evacuated a 1.5 mile square area from around Biolab. The plume of chemical toxic smoke was much larger and spanned much further than 1.5 miles. Considering the plume was affecting an area in Walton County approximately 20 miles from the location of the fire, there were no emergency vehicles in Walton County warning any travelers.

Many residents in Rockdale County outside of the inadequate evacuation zone were issued “shelter-in-place” orders on Monday and were informed that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division were monitoring the “air” for toxic chemicals. Air quality reports indicated the chlorine level at 0.09, well below the “established safety” of 0.5. The only chemical that has been indicated as a problem even 2 days post incident has been chlorine, but OSHA reports from 2018 state the plant deals with Bromine as well. Residents who were evacuated to Henry County (south and adjoining Rockdale) had to be moved again due to toxic fumes entering the area due to wind shift.

In an area of Newton County, approximately 13 miles from the Biolab, Inc. fire, there has been a haze and strong smell of chlorine along with another odor not readily identifiable. A report was left on voicemail to the Newton County Emergency Management Agency since no one answered the phone. Attempts have been made to contact GEMA and RCEMA without success. There has been no measurement of air quality in the area being referenced as I live there. As of the writing of this article, a new odor has emerged in the area – a smell that is unidentifiable. There is still an issue as shelter-in-place and evacuation orders resumed at the time of writing.

The effects of the fire were felt beyond Rockdale County. Residents across Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fulton, and other nearby counties reported seeing a haze and experiencing symptoms related to chemical irritants. 

Abby Mutic, an assistant professor at Emory School of Nursing, noted, “The eyes, the nose, the respiratory tract, the throat—some have cough with tightness of lungs, and some are experiencing shortness of breath.” 

Air quality experts at Georgia Tech confirmed elevated levels of chlorine in the air. “We are indeed finding elevated levels of chlorine in the particulate matter,” said Ted Russell, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the university. 

Despite these findings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and county officials assured the public that the chlorine levels were not high enough to pose a serious threat to most people. “We’re not seeing levels that exceed our action thresholds, even for sensitive groups,” said Bryan Vasser, on-scene coordinator for the EPA. 

“This morning, we were seeing from the various monitors a lot of values over 100 in terms of the Air Quality Index. And at this point, they’re looking much more normal, sort of forties, fifties. So we’ve already seen it come down,” Russell said. 

There also have been no signs of contamination to the county’s water supply, according to the EPA.

Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel explained that the large plume of smoke seen by residents was due to a chemical reaction. Officials still have not identified the chemical responsible for the reaction, but an update on Monday morning said that the irritant chlorine was detected in the air emitting from the incident location of BioLab. Air quality tests have not detected unsafe levels of chlorine or hydrochloric acid. [Emphasis Mine]

Now, we find out today there may be hydrochloric acid in the air, but the tests indicate the level is not unsafe. Why was that not indicated to residents of the affected areas earlier? Since when is any level of hydrochloric acid (HCl) safe? There have been no updates to residents in Newton County from the Newton County Emergency Management Agency today.

There is not one news organization in the area that has covered the failure of emergency management agencies to have an adequate plan in place for an incident such as this. Similar events happened in 2004 and 2020. Remember, the plant has been in the area since 1973.

It is fairly obvious that state and local government agencies are unprepared in their plan to deal with a chemical fire or other incident at this facility. Information from the websites indicated residents should follow instructions from local officials. Yet, when “officials” cannot guide travelers to a safe route to avoid a toxic plume, travelers and some local residents are left on their own to find their way around, hopefully, using a safe route. Failure on the part of local emergency management agencies to recognize the far-reaching effect of the toxic plume exposed residents in numerous areas who had no idea about the fire.

Another issue is the fire-suppressing system at Biolab, Inc. It uses water – the chemicals the company manufactures and stores at the facility are water reactive, meaning water makes the reaction worse. The fire department had to try and extinguish the fire with water, exacerbating the problem. Why has the company not installed another fire suppressant system that does not use water? Why has the local fire department not planned to have another fire suppressant agent in place to deal with incidences at this plant? The company and local government are aware of that issue.

Considering this plant has a poor safety record and has experienced many serious events, the plant needs to be shut down. Officials downplay the seriousness of these events because Biolab, Inc. provides industry and jobs to the area.  However, with the failure of local and State EMAs to deal with serious events such as this, residents should demand that the local and State EMAs develop more comprehensive plans to handle these incidents. Moreover, the fire departments should have additional fire suppressant resources to deal with chemicals that react with water.  Incidents of this nature have happened repeatedly over the years, yet, there has been little change in the response to a serious event – area residents and those experiencing the effects are left wanting.

It is suggested if you live in an area that has a plant dealing with potentially toxic chemicals that you contact your local EMA office to determine their emergency plan for dealing with a serious event such as the Biolab, Inc., Conyers, GA fiasco. Be sure to question safe travel routes around the event, an adequate evacuation zone – taking into consideration prevailing wind patterns, and safe areas for individuals suffering health problems that could be affected by an incident. Also, be sure the fire departments have appropriate fire suppressant agents to deal with chemicals that react with water.

The local and State EMA offices in Georgia have truly engaged in negligence and malfeasance in dealing with the situation regarding the Biolab, Inc. fire in Conyers, GA. It’s not the first time a situation with Biolab has been encountered, nor will it be the last. The response has remained the same since the 2004 incident; that incident should have prompted major emergency management changes. You can bet there is money involved greasing the appropriate palms. If EMA offices and agencies cannot establish a proper and appropriate plan for incidences involving Biolab – which probably won’t happen because it’s government – and the fire department cannot be provided adequate fire suppressant to deal with a Biolab fire, residents will continue to live in dread of the plant. The simple solution is for the public to demand Biolab, Inc. be shut down in Conyers due to continued safety issues and lack of appropriate emergency management response. In fact, residents are doing just that through a petition to demand the plant be closed.

Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media