Conyers officials report having found “harmful irritant chlorine” in the air.
Following a chemical factory fire east of Georgia’s capital city on Monday, which prompted more than 90,000 inhabitants to stay inside after the “harmful irritant chlorine” was found in the air, authorities are now citing a “strong chemical smell” in the Atlanta region.
“To investigate the numerous reports of a haze and strong chemical smell across Fulton County, likely related to the BioLab fire” that broke out near Conyers on Sunday, the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency declared this morning. According to its website, BioLab is a firm that manufactures chemicals for swimming pools.
“We are aware of the incident in Conyers, Georgia and are working diligently to ensure the safety of those in and around Atlanta,” Mayor Andre Dickens posted to X. “The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport are conducting air quality control checks.”
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Rockdale County, home of Conyers, was forced to issue an order to its citizens on Monday directing them to stay indoors following tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division that detected the presence of “harmful irritant chlorine” in “air emitting from the incident location of BioLab.”
Around five in the morning on Sunday, the BioLab factory caught fire, which was extinguished later that day. By then, plumes of smoke were seen coming from the building, and some of the inhabitants had been told to leave. A sprinkler head malfunctioned at the plant, according to Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel, resulting in “a mixture with a water reactive chemical.”
“Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency, based on information received from the Environmental Protection Division and the Environmental Protection Agency, strongly advises all Rockdale County residents to continue to shelter in place,” the county government stated. Furthermore, until the shelter-in-place order is rescinded, it is advised that enterprises cease operations for the public’s and all citizens’ protection.
“For everyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn the air conditioning off and keep windows and doors shut,” it stated.
A Monday request for comment from Fox News Digital was not immediately answered by BioLab.
“Our top priority is ensuring the community’s safety, and our teams are working around-the-clock to respond to the ongoing situation at our facility in Conyers, Georgia,” the business stated on its website. “We have sent specialist teams from out of state to the scene to help and enhance the efforts of local law enforcement and first responders, with whom we continue to collaborate closely. Our collective goal is to get everything back to normal as soon as possible.”
“At this time, no warnings or advisories have been issued” in Atlanta, according to Mayor Dickens’ post on X.
