CONYERS, Ga. — Metro Atlanta residents are being warned to prepare for potential air quality issues as a chemical plume that's been gassing in Conyers since Sunday is expected to reach the city by Thursday morning.
The fire was put out Sunday, but a reaction triggered by sprinkler system water pouring onto pool shock chlorination product at the BioLab facility in Conyers has continued to produce the plume.
The Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency and Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) said wind shifts will push the chlorine smell and haze westward, possibly lingering through the weekend. 11Alive Meteorologist Melissa Nord has a wind forest for the day here.
Officials say at this time that "chlorine levels in the air are at safe levels and there are no active advisories in place." They note that "chlorine has a very low odor threshold, meaning that it can be smelled before it reaches a harmful level."
A Georgia Poison Center hotline has been set up at 404-856-6252 for anyone wishing to report symptoms such as nose, throat or eye irritation or difficulty breathing.
This comes as overnight monitoring Tuesday into Wednesday detected chlorine levels above the EPA's "action level" around the BioLab facility, where a fire broke out on Sunday. Officials say the elevated levels are expected to continue as cleanup crews work to neutralize chlorine products on site. The EPA defines the "action level" as the concentration of a contaminant that, when exceeded, requires immediate action or treatment.
During a Wednesday city council meeting, Conyers' city manager and mayor attempted to address concerns from residents seeking more transparency about the biolab fire.
Officials say a malfunctioning sprinkler system triggered a chemical reaction with chlorine pallets, sparking a fire at the facility on Sunday.
Here is some other critical information:
- What we learned on Conyers plume from Tuesday morning news conference | Pool shock product is gassing off into the air: What that means
- Georgia Tech chemistry professor breaks down chemicals in the air over Conyers BioLab plant
- Rockdale chemical plume | Possible symptoms from exposure
- Hotlines: For non-emergency situations, people are asked not to call 911. They are directed to the county EMA hotline at 770-278-8300 or the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 770-278-8200.
11Alive will provide additional updates throughout the day on the situation.
Latest chemical plume updates | Thursday, Oct. 3
9:38 p.m. | City Schools of Decatur posted on Instagram that as a precaution, students will remain indoors during the school day on Friday. Also, windows will be closed for bus riders during pickup and dropoff.
6:48 p.m. | 11Alive's Molly Oak explains how frustration is growing for residents as the plume lingers in Rockdale County.
5:20 p.m. | The Georgia Department of Agriculture released the following statement on the chemical plume in Conyers:
We are monitoring the ongoing chemical event in Rockdale County and its impact on the surrounding area in close coordination with local officials, GEMA/HS, EPA, DPH, and other state and federal partners. Impacted Georgians can submit agriculture-related questions and any reports of animal mortality directly to us at chemicalevent@agr.georgia.gov. This is an evolving situation, and we will provide updated recommendations/guidance
as soon as we receive more information.
2:10 p.m. | Piedmont Rockdale Hospital provides an update, saying they've seen patients with irritation symptoms but no increase in inpatient admissions as a result of those symptoms:
Piedmont Rockdale’s Emergency Department has seen a number of patients presenting with symptoms of itchy eyes, scratchy throats and cough. Those patients were promptly treated and discharged, and we have not seen an increase in inpatient admissions as a result of these symptoms.
1:13 p.m. | Rockdale County Schools announced it would have independent learning days, or virtual days, from Monday, Oct. 7 through Wednesday, Oct. 9. The district added that the virtual days were enacted out of an abundance of caution because they were not given a timeline for completion of the cleanup.
11:13 a.m. | Congressman Hank Johnson calls for BioLab Plant in Conyers to close:
“As the number of people living in and around Conyers and the surrounding area continues to grow, this plant – which stores toxic chemicals – has become a threat to public health and should no longer be allowed to operate at its current location,” said Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04). “I'm not only calling for stronger federal regulations around the storage of hazard chemicals with reactive properties, but I'll be on the side of those working to ensure the permanent closure of this plant. We can create safe, good-paying jobs without sacrificing the health, safety and wellbeing of the people who live in our communities.”
10:55 a.m. | Gov. Kemp addresses Conyers BioLab chemical plume as haze moves toward metro Atlanta.
10:00 a.m. | According to GA Tech Professor Sally Eng, measurements from ASCENT Atlanta South DeKalb measurement station show chlorine-containing smoke particles started to increase this morning at 5 a.m.
By 8 a.m., they were about 17 times higher than typical conditions. Bromine-containing smoke particles were about four times higher than typical at 8 a.m. However, the overall PM2.5 level is still within the EPA 24-hour standard.
8:35 a.m. | If you're waking up, getting around and noticing the smell in the air, that's what was expected this morning:
7:10 a.m. | A small orange-ish glare has been visible at the plume sight through the early morning hours -- we were able to obtain clarification from Rockdale County on that. They said it's not a reignited fire or anything like that, but rather a color change resulting from the process of cleaning up the debris.
"Until the cleanup is complete, there will be fluctuations in the plume," the county said.
5 a.m. | The chemical plume is expected to reach metro Atlanta Thursday morning; here is our latest report.
Atlanta Public Schools has announced it would move all outdoor school-related activities indoors due to the update from GEMA and EPD regarding the BioLab plume.
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Wednesday, Oct. 2
11:00 p.m. | 11Alive's Cody Alcorn explains how the City of Conyers addressed concerns by residents regarding the chemical plume during a Wednesday night meeting.
7:54 p.m. | Rockdale County officials are addressing concerns about the plume and the change in color. A fire did not restart. Officials said the increased volume of plume and changes in color are not from a fire but from the process of cleaning up the debris. There is a product under the building debris that is being disturbed during the cleanup process. Until the cleanup is done, there will be fluctuations in the plume.