Rockdale lifts shelter order as chemical plant cleanup wraps up

ATLANTA — All of the chemical product has been removed from the Conyers site of the BioLab chemical plant fire and the shelter-in-place advisory has been lifted, county officials said Thursday.

The announcement comes 19 days after the fire sent a massive plume of smoke into the sky, disrupting schools and businesses and forcing many to evacuate.

The rest of the cleanup will now be managed by BioLab’s corporate leaders and their onsite contractors. Federal and state regulators will oversee the work.

BioLab officials did not participate in Thursday’s news conference, drawing sharp criticism from Rockdale Chairman Oz Nesbitt. He said the community has been “held hostage” by the company’s chemical fire, caused by a faulty sprinkler system Sept. 29.

“Quite frankly, it’s a slap in the face,” Nesbitt said. “I feel like the citizens and business owners who have been held hostage for the last 19 days deserve to hear directly from the leadership, the corporate management of BioLab.”

A BioLab representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Because of the fire and the long-lasting plume of smoke, 17,000 residents were initially evacuated, and thousands were under nightly shelter-in-place orders. Schools closed for weeks, and many county and state leaders have called for criminal investigations and additional regulations.

In recent days, the nightly shelter-in-place advisory had been in place for those living within a 2-mile radius of the plant.

People in the surrounding area are worried about the long-term health impacts from exposure to the chemicals, and multiple lawsuits have been filed against BioLab, which has had multiple incidents in the last 20 years.

BioLab has issued statements that it “deeply regrets” the impact of the fire on the community and opened an assistance center for people to process claims for expenses incurred as a result of the fire.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, will remain onsite, officials said. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division will continue to monitor the cleanup.