Over 90,000 Georgia residents sheltering a day after chemical plant fire sends chlorine into the air
CONYERS, Ga. — More than 90,000 residents in a county east of Atlanta were told to shelter in place on Monday and businesses were told to remain closed a day later. a fire in a chemical factory sent a huge plume of dark smoke high into the sky, visible from miles away.
Air quality surveys conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Environmental Protection Division “revealed the harmful chlorine irritant” detected in the air from the BioLab plant fire in Conyers, Georgia, Rockdale County government said early Monday in a statement.
“For anyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn off air conditioning and keep windows and doors closed,” said the statement on the accident that has affected the entire province.
The fire was under control around 4 p.m. Sunday, officials said.
Interstate 20, which was closed in both directions in the area on Sunday, reopened Monday morning, officials said.
People in the northern part of Rockdale County, north of Interstate 20, were ordered to evacuate Sunday and others were told to shelter in place.
Sheriff’s office spokesperson Christine Nesbitt did not know how many people had been evacuated, although it covered much of the Conyers community. Media reports said the number was 17,000.
The fire started when a sprinkler head malfunctioned at the BioLab plant in Conyers around 5 a.m. Sunday, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel told reporters. The disturbance caused water to mix with a water-reactive chemical, creating a plume of chemicals.
McDaniel said there were workers at the plant, but no injuries have been reported at this time. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports this.
BioLab’s website states that it is the pool and spa water care division of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products. Automated messages on two phone numbers for the company to call back during business hours. An email was sent to the company on Monday.
“We are actively responding to an incident at our facility in Conyers, Georgia,” a BioLab representative said in a statement to the Journal-Constitution. “Our workers are registered and no injuries have been reported. Our team is on site and working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation.”
A small fire on the factory’s roof was initially contained but flared up again Sunday afternoon, authorities said.