BREAKING NEWS: Biolab chemical fire no longer burning in Rockdale, shelter in place order restored

Update: Officials are saying this morning, Oct. 1, the shelter-in-place order has been restored temporarily due to a shift in the wind. Now, a gas cloud has appeared overnight. A press conference will be held at 10 a.m.  today, Oct. 1. Please turn on your televisions and radios for updates. This situation is fluid.

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has lifted the shelter-in-place order and the evacuation zone for Rockdale County effective immediately, officials announced at 8 p.m.

The latest readings from monitoring the last 24 hours via the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) with results showing Rockdale with an average level of all readings at .09—well below the action level (.5) as of the last reading on Sept. 30 at 4:59 p.m.

Rockdale County Water Resources has tested the water, and it is also deemed safe, officials said.

The EPA will continue to monitor the air quality readings. Citizens can expect to continue to see clouds until the haze fully dissipates.

The Rockdale Superior and State Clerk of Court offices, the Rockdale Courthouse, along with all county facilities, except Johnson Park, will reopen on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Businesses in Rockdale County can proceed as normal, officials said tonight.

BioLab issued the following statement to On Common Ground News at 9 p.m. on Sept. 30:

“Our top priority remains ensuring the community’s safety. We are grateful to the partnership with first responders and local and federal authorities as we together work non-stop to remediate the ongoing situation at our Conyers, Georgia facility. We have made significant progress throughout the day, assisted by the deployment of out-of-state specialist support, and note Rockdale County’s announcement tonight ending the shelter in place advisory effective immediately. Air emissions are being actively monitored at the site and in the community by state, local, and federal authorities and we are supporting the efforts of local authorities as part of the Unified Command response to the incident.”

Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel told media representatives at a late afternoon press conference today, Sept. 30, that the BioLab fire is no longer burning.

“There is no active fire at this time. There has not been an active fire at the site since it was contained yesterday at 4 o’ clock,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel said the white smoke in the air is a product of water from the sprinkler system reacting with chemicals inside the facility. The haze spread beyond Rockdale as a result of shifting winds.

The fire started around 5:19 a.m. on Sunday, McDaniel said. Engine 1700 responded to the scene of BioLab, which is located at 1700 Covington Highway, Conyers, McDaniel said.

“Upon arrival, we observed the fire on the roof area, which had activated the system—the sprinkler system,” McDaniel said. “Stored in that building is a water-reactive chemical, which brings us to the major incident we have been facing for the past two days. Once the water made contact with that chemical, we have the plumes that you have seen for the past two days. The fire was brought under containment around 10:30 (a.m.)”

McDaniel said firefighters secured the water and as they began removing products from the facility, the fire rekindled around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The fire chief said that it took firefighters about 3 to 4 hours to contain the rekindled blaze and then the roof collapsed along with several interior walls, creating more problems for responders.

Today, firefighters continued moving debris from the facility. The goal, McDaniel said, is to get to the product and remove it from the building, McDaniel said.

“The hot zone of the area—the primary area–is at the far end of the building. All walls, all areas around that have been knocked down and we’re working through getting to the product so we can secure it and store it, “ McDaniel said.

Environmental Protection Agency officials said on Monday the air quality is safe. They did, however,  acknowledge receiving reports from the public with complaints concerning strong odors that smelled like chlorine as well as people stating they were having headaches and other symptoms. Officials said they would investigate those complaints.

“We didn’t see any concentrations of chemicals—chlorine or hydrochloric acid–that would seem unsafe for the public,” a Rockdale EPA official said during the press conference.

DeKalb Emergency Management Agency says it is aware of numerous reports of air quality concerns in the county following the chemical fire in Conyers, but there are no current advisories from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for DeKalb County concerning air quality.

DEMA and DeKalb County Fire Rescue are testing air quality around the county and will issue advisories should they become necessary. Residents are advised to call 311 to report any air quality concerns.

Gwinnett County officials also said during a press conference on Monday that EPA has not found dangerous levels of chemicals in the air.

Gwinnett County Schools initially canceled outdoor after-school activities but later reversed the decision, allowing events to continue.

The City of Atlanta also issued a statement on Monday, stating that the latest test results show there is “no immediate life safety issues.” The statement also says that the haze is beginning to clear from the city.

Pictured: Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel. Photo via Rockdale County government.