Atlanta and Fulton County officials said Monday they are investigating reports of a “haze and strong chemical smell” likely caused by a fire at a Conyers chemical plant over the weekend.
BioLab, a chemical plant that manufactures pool and spa chemicals, caught fire on Sunday. The fire created a large plume of smoke seen for miles. About 17,000 Rockdale residents were evacuated from the area. A portion of Interstate 20 was shut down on Sunday, but reopened Monday morning. Rockdale residents are being urged to shelter in place.
And while the lab is 24 miles southeast of Atlanta, Rough Draft has received reports from around the metro – including Kirkwood, Reynoldstown, Tucker, Decatur and Summerhill – about haze and the smell of chlorine in the air.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens posted to social media on Monday that no warnings or advisories have been reported for Atlanta. He said the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are conducting air quality control checks.
The city is also in contact with the federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Environmental Protection Division to monitor the situation, he said.
“At this time, no warnings or advisories have been issued. We will continue to coordinate with the EPA and EPD and all updates will be posted on our social channels. If you have concerns stay inside, close windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems,” Dickens said.
Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency said it is also investigating the reports of haze and chemical smells in Fulton County, likely caused by the BioLab fire.
“We do believe it’s related to the BioLab fire, but why we are seeing the change in conditions is what we are attempting to figure out. Latest plume modeling indicates it moving to the northeast, which it is clearly not,” the agency said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
