‘Significant concern’: Georgia lawmakers question BioLab leadership over safety concerns following fire

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. – Sen. Rapahel Warnock and Rep. Hank Johnson question the CEO of the company that owned the BioLab chemical plant about safety concerns at the Conyers plant.

Georgia lawmakers wrote a letter to KIK Consumer Products CEO Michael Sload asking for details about the Sept. 29 fire and what the company is doing to ensure another fire doesn’t break out.

Warnock and Johnson said they are also demanding more information about how the company will compensate residents affected by the fire, which led Rockdale County to issue a protective order for weeks.

“We write with great concern about the September 29, 2024 BioLab fire at the company’s facility in Conyers, Georgia, the resulting chemical cloud and debris, and the immediate and potential long-term impacts on Georgia communities. This fire is just one of BioLab’s safety violations, and BioLab cannot continue to put the Rockdale community in this situation,” the lawmakers wrote.

The two lawmakers said BioLab had a “pattern of safety deficiencies” and needed to take corrective action.

The fire at the Conyers plant spread a strong chemical odor and haze over a wide area. Authorities ordered about 17,000 Rockdale County residents to evacuate more than 90,000 people Shelters must remain in place, forcing businesses to close and schools to cancel outdoor activities.

BioLab has said it is working to remedy the situation and last week opened a Community Assistance Center where residents and business owners can file claims. A company statement said the center has helped about 300 community members and that a company 24-hour call center has helped more than 7,500 callers with claims and reimbursements.

Earlier this week, county officials announced they would file a federal lawsuit against BioLab, calling the facility a public nuisance and seeking damages for affected citizens and businesses. Several private class action lawsuits have also been announced.

Federal officials are investigating what led to the fire and how it was handled. The sprinkler system poured water onto water-reactive chemicals, sending clouds into the air.

Previous safety incidents at the BioLab chemical plant

Other devastating fires occurred at the Conyers complex, which opened in 1973.

In May 2004, multiple explosions in a warehouse led to a huge fire and a chlorine-laden fire that prompted the evacuation of 300 people, at least nine of whom went to the hospital for burning eyes and lungs, The Associated Press reported.

In June 2015, six Rockdale County firefighters were injured in a fire at the complex, and another fire in 2016 led to voluntary evacuations, the Rockdale Citizen reported.

In September 2020, a chemical fire prompted authorities to close Interstate 20. Nine firefighters were hospitalized after inhaling dangerous fumes, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board found.