****

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released new details regarding the BioLab fire that occurred on September 29 in Conyers, Georgia, which resulted in neighborhoods being enveloped in chemical smoke and led to thousands of residents either evacuating or sheltering in place.

According to the CSB report, BioLab had initiated a permanent fire watch at least two to three months before the incident due to strong odors coming from oxidizers stored in two buildings. On the day of the fire, two employees were on duty for fire watch. At around 5 a.m., one of the employees at storage warehouse Plant 12 reported hearing a popping sound and noticed the product was wet, prompting him to call for assistance.

The warehouse stored chemicals like 99% trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) and 99% dichloroisocyanuric acid (DCCA), used in swimming pool treatments. When TCCA comes into contact with a small amount of water and fails to dissolve, it can undergo a chemical reaction producing toxic chlorine gas and potentially explosive nitrogen trichloride.

BioLab employees attempted to manage the reacting product but with toxic vapor plumes escalating, they called 911 at about 5:10 a.m. Flames became visible by 6:30 a.m., and a shelter-in-place order was issued around 7:40 a.m. The initial fire was put out by Rockdale County Fire Rescue by around 8:10 a.m., but another blaze reignited around noon, producing thick black and multicolored smoke. This led to further evacuations and the closure of Interstate 20 until the next morning.

Even after extinguishing the second fire by 4 p.m., the plant continued to emit gases due to remaining reactive materials buried under collapsed structures. BioLab assured that safety and collaboration with authorities are primary priorities, while efforts to access and treat the unstable chemicals required heavy equipment.

For several days, shifting winds spread the chemical haze around multiple cities, including parts of Atlanta, located approximately 30 miles away. Around 90,000 residents in Rockdale County had to shelter in place, and 17,000 faced evacuation.

The CSB stated the investigation remains ongoing, and further findings will be shared in a final report. Meanwhile, local residents continue to report lingering health issues such as blurry vision, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and chronic headaches since the fire. The EPA monitored air quality until October 17, after which the Georgia Environmental Protection Division took over the clean-up operations.

Rockdale County officials recently announced plans to file a federal lawsuit seeking compensation for affected residents and the county, and reiterated their intent to pursue the permanent shutdown of BioLab's operations in the area.