This story was originally published by Capital B Atlanta. Sign up for Capital B Atlanta’s weekly newsletter to follow similar stories. Sign up to receive Healthbeat’s free Atlanta newsletter here.
In the midst of an environmental PR disaster, BioLab is quickly becoming a household name in America for all the wrong reasons, but I and other Conyers residents have long been familiar with the environmental hazards at the company.
I’ve lived in Conyers for nearly 20 years, and for the past eight I’ve known of turmoil at BioLab, the KIK Consumer Products facility that opened here in 1973 to house production and storage space for pool and spa water treatment chemicals.
This past Sunday, our majority-Black town located approximately 30 miles east of Atlanta was shaken when the facility’s sprinkler system malfunctioned around 5 a.m. Sunday, causing a disastrous chemical fire. More than 17,000 residents were ordered to evacuate their homes. An estimated 90,000 others in close proximity were instructed by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and county officials to close windows, shut off air conditioning, and remain indoors.
Sadly, we have been here before. There have been at least three fires in the past two decades, varying in degrees of damage.
In 2004, when my family lived off Klondike Road, a plume of pool chemicals similar to the one that made national news this week poured from BioLab, causing residents to take shelter at J.H. House Elementary and my alma mater, Heritage High School. At the time, we lived just 5 miles from the facility, located off Old Covington Highway.
Back then, officials used excavators to knock down one of the walls in the warehouse and flood the area with water. The fallout of 12.5 million pounds of chlorine draining into nearby VFW Lake resulted in massive marine death, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Another incident occurred in 2016. A dozen pallets of dry chemicals were exposed to water, causing a small fire and a cloud of toxic smoke to waft from the industrial site. No national attention this time; just frustration amongst locals due to another environmental hazard caused by BioLab.
In September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a chlorine vapor release caused Interstate 20 to close for more than six hours, serving as another reminder of the dangers associated with the facility.
But this past Sunday was different. The black-and-orange plume escaping BioLab grew quickly and moved across the sky like an invasion. Next were the automated phone calls from Rockdale County urging residents to shelter in place or evacuate. Then came the emergency mobile alerts. It felt apocalyptic. As the situation escalated, our community wrestled with the uncertainty of what might come next.
Questions remain about health implications
Conyers holds a unique cultural significance, particularly in the burgeoning film production industry that is increasingly shaping the metro area. Our charming Olde Town District has served as a backdrop for television series like The Vampire Diaries, while our historic courthouse hosted Michael B. Jordan during the filming of Just Mercy.
Stranger Things, produced right here, has brought a supernatural energy to our community. Ozark brought a drug mule. Yet, for the nearly 95,000 residents of Rockdale County, this thriving, growing suburb nestled in the forest of Atlanta’s shadow is home.
Friday nights come alive with decades-old high school football rivalries like Heritage versus Rockdale County High. Weekends are spent enjoying shopping along Georgia Highway 138. The serene nature trails of Costley Mill Park and South Rockdale Community Park, carved by the powerful South River, offer beautiful escapes. Sundays are dedicated to reconnection and worship with friends, family, and neighbors at the many churches that line our streets.
These everyday experiences may seem trivial, but they’re sacred to life in our beloved C-Town.
Now, we have questions. What will happen to our lives here? Will there be long-term health or environmental implications? Will BioLab pose a bigger danger to our community? Those answers aren’t clear just yet.
Chlorine has been detected in the air in Rockdale County and as far away as Gwinnett County, but environmental officials are still assessing the extent of the exposure and whether any other chemical compounds were released from the facility.
An air quality survey conducted by the EPA and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division identified chlorine as a harmful irritant emanating from the BioLab site.
Additionally, bromine — known for its bleach-like odor that is used as a chlorine alternative in pool and spa treatments — was detected, albeit at lower levels. This chemical can also be toxic to those exposed.
Officials must prioritize transparency
The closure of roads and the complete shutdown of I-20 across our county forced many to remain in place, including my family members and me. We live just a few miles outside the Rockdale County evacuation zone that extended three highway exits, so thankfully we didn’t have to leave home. For residents in the low-income, predominantly Black and brown communities north of I-20 near Sigman Road, the prospect of evacuating without government support likely raised concerns, leading some to prioritize personal finances over health and safety.
On Tuesday, the shelter-in-place order that was lifted Monday night had been once again mandated by officials as weather conditions that morning caused the lingering plume to bank down and move throughout the county. We’re now being told by Rockdale County to remain indoors between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. until Friday due to the possibility of worsening air quality after sundown.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency issued a statewide public safety alert Monday afternoon on behalf of the state EPD, stating that the EPA was monitoring air quality for chlorine and related compounds.
“Chemical levels are unlikely to cause harm to most people,” the alert stated.
As we navigate these challenges, it’s essential to remember the strength and solidarity that define our community. While the memories of past incidents linger like the chemical haze that has draped Conyers since Sunday, the recent events serve as a stark reminder of our vulnerabilities and the urgent need for comprehensive safety measures.
Local officials must prioritize transparency and communication to ensure that residents feel safe and informed during these turbulent times. The events of this past weekend underscore the ongoing risks associated with hazardous materials in our midst, prompting calls for stricter regulations and accountability for facilities like BioLab. (Multiple class action lawsuits have been filed against the company this week, and more than 5,000 people have already signed a petition calling for its closure.)
From the A to Conyers, it’s vital for our community to come together, advocate for change, and support one another.
Stay safe.
Sydney Sims in the youth and education reporter for Capital B, a local-national nonprofit news organization that centers Black voices, audience needs and experiences, and partners with the communities it serves.
