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Conyers residents concerned as BioLab distribution center reopens weeks after disaster

BioLab said its distribution center was cleared by relevant authorities and regulators to reopen on November 4. It is not manufacturing any new products.

CONYERS, Ga. — Sher'ree and Andre Kellogg fear they're losing a race against time in their Rockdale County home. They live just six or seven miles from BioLab, the site of a massive chemical plume six weeks ago.

"Time is not on our side. We have older family members. We have children. We've seen more of our life than we will in the future," Andre said. "The new normal has to change."

In a statement, BioLab said its distribution center was "cleared by relevant authorities and regulators to reopen on November 4 and resume fulfilling customer orders for finished products, which are used to clean pools and spas." It has not resumed manufacturing operations at this time.

Credit: WXIA

"Boy, it really makes me angry. How in the heck could they be allowed to just open up their doors again?" Sher'ree said. "For them to now be allowed to distribute, that means the same chemicals that caught fire are still there. How do we know that things are OK?"

She worries about her family members who experienced unusual health symptoms following the plume. She worries about how this might affect the property value of her home.

And, she worries about her son, who had to learn virtually for several weeks. He had already spent a significant amount of time in online schooling because of the pandemic.

Credit: WXIA

"When this started again, you could see him having some concerns, fearful about his friends, very concerned about everything that was happening, really hypersensitive, and you can't blame them," Sher'ree said. "Look at what these kids have gone through in the last four or five years of their lives, right here in this county."

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners announced its intent to file a federal lawsuit against BioLab and its parent company, KIK Consumer Products, in late October after an explosion and subsequent chemical plume forced thousands to evacuate.

It is seeking an injunction to shut down BioLab and damages for residents and businesses affected by the fire on Sept. 29. Commissioners also said they want the chemical plant shut down. 

Credit: WXIA

Plus, Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) are leading an inquiry into BioLab "regarding the events of September 29, BioLab’s prior safety failures and workplace violations, and BioLab’s plan to address any financial, health, and potential environmental harms to the Rockdale County and metro Atlanta community."

Andre hopes local leaders will push for more immediate change in the meantime.

"We have to make sure that our children have what they need in order to be the next generation. But if we keep having issues like this, it's going to continue just to degrade the next generation," Andre said. "I just want to challenge the local government: who's going to step up and be the champion?  Expect that we're going to keep fighting for that."

BioLab said it "recognizes the importance of understanding the causes of the incident, and is conducting a thorough review, cooperating closely with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), as it performs its own review, as well as other state and federal environmental, health and safety agencies."

As of Nov. 7, the company said it has: 

  • Fielded more than 15,700 calls to its 24/7 dedicated call center, launched one month ago, helping community members with claims, reimbursement requests, and more.
  • Assisted more than 3,000 community members at BioLab’s Community Assistance Center.
  • Continued to provide regular updates and make the latest information available to the community through its dedicated website – www.BioLabCommunityResources.com – which has received over 18,000 visits to date.
  • Successfully concluded its debris removal service, having fulfilled more than 130 requests on private properties, as well as having cleared debris from public areas.

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