Early Sunday morning, authorities responding to an emergency at BioLab, a chemical plant on Old Covington Highway in Rockdale County, Georgia, led to road closures and precautionary evacuations. The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident, urging residents in the area to stay indoors and keep windows closed to avoid exposure to potentially hazardous materials.
Initially reported as a fire, the incident began around 5 a.m. when a malfunctioning sprinkler system inside the plant made contact with a reactive chemical. Although initial reports suggested there was a fire, it was later clarified at a 10 a.m. press conference that no fire had occurred. Instead, the reaction caused a significant amount of smoke, creating concerns about chemical exposure in the surrounding area.
Authorities have not yet disclosed which chemical was involved in the reaction. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently sampling the smoke plume to determine the chemical composition and assess any potential health risks for the community.
Residents living near the plant were evacuated as a precaution, and the JP Carr Gym has been established as a temporary shelter. While officials hope to resolve the situation quickly, they have not yet provided a timeline for when residents can safely return home. Heavy equipment is being brought in to remove pallets of the reactive chemical from the facility. Once this is done, officials will offer further updates. If residents cannot return today, the evacuation shelters will remain open overnight.
This latest incident is a frightening reminder of a similar one that occurred at one of BioLab’s facilities in recent years. In August 2020, a fire at the company’s Lake Charles facility in Westlake, Louisiana, following Hurricane Laura, caused the release of chlorine gas. While no injuries were reported, the fire caused substantial damage to the facility and led to supply chain shortages, affecting the pool and spa industry well into 2021 and 2022.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation at BioLab, and residents are encouraged to stay updated as more information becomes available.
Feature Photo Credit: Facebook – WSB-TV
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