Chemical Cloud Near Atlanta Causes New Shelter-in-Place Warning

Residents east of Atlanta received renewed warnings on Tuesday to seek shelter as shifting winds threatened to carry a lingering chemical cloud from a chlorine factory fire over their neighborhoods.
A shelter-in-place order had just been lifted for Rockdale County, where a chemical fire had sent a massive plume of orange and black smoke into the sky on Sunday.
The BioLab plant in Conyers, about 25 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta, sparked concerns as residents reported a strong chemical odor and haze extending for miles.
“Due to changing weather conditions, the plume is shifting throughout the county. If it approaches your area, please stay indoors until it passes,” Rockdale County officials advised residents on social media early on Tuesday.
Atlanta firefighters are continuing to monitor the situation, urging anyone experiencing irritation of the nose, throat, or eyes, or difficulty breathing, to contact a Georgia Poison Center hotline.
“If you can avoid being outside or on the roads, please stay home,” Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Chairman Oz Nesbitt stressed during a Tuesday morning news conference.
While the fire was brought under control around 4 p.m. Sunday, firefighters remained on-site on Tuesday as smoldering materials continued to produce a plume of gray-white smoke.
The lack of strong winds allowed the pollution to linger over the Atlanta area, creating an uncomfortable haze.
BioLab, the plant’s operator and a division of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products, faced criticism from residents for not clearly specifying which products were burning in their public statements.
Newsweek contacted BioLab for comment Tuesday.
Atlanta’s fire department is conducting tests for chemicals including chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors for chlorine and related compounds.
Federal officials have opened an investigation into the fire’s cause and the response.
Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel indicated that the fire started when the sprinkler system activated and doused water-reactive chemicals early on Sunday morning.
No injuries were reported among the employees present at the time.
Residents north of Interstate 20 were ordered to evacuate, while others were instructed to shelter in place. Reports of haze and a strong chlorine smell extended to Atlanta’s densely populated eastern suburbs in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
After several hours, DeKalb emergency management authorities assessed that the air pollution was “unlikely to cause harm to most people,” recommending that those concerned could seal their homes and turn off air conditioning units.
The EPA noted that chlorine has a very low odor threshold, allowing people to detect it at concentrations that pose no significant health risks.
The Conyers facility, operational since 1973, has a history of destructive fires. A May 2004 incident involving multiple explosions led to a massive fire that required the evacuation of 300 people as a chlorine cloud spread through the area, prompting at least nine hospital visits for symptoms like burning eyes and lungs.
In June 2015, six Rockdale County firefighters sustained injuries in a fire at the complex. Another incident in 2016 prompted voluntary evacuations nearby.
More recently, a chemical fire in September 2020 led to the shutdown of Interstate 20 during rush hour, with reports of firefighters struggling to manage the situation due to hazardous conditions and poor organization at the site, which resulted in further evaluations at hospitals for inhalation exposure.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press