ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Rockdale County officials stated the shelter-in-place has been reduced to a smaller area in the county on Monday. Those within a two-mile radius of the facility will be in the shelter-in-place from the 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. until further notice.
The rest of the county is excluded from the order.
Frustrated residents and business owners who will still be in the shelter-in-place also attended the news conference asking for answers.
"That is for your own public health and public safety," Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt. "We are still in a crisis management. I am waiting for a call from the fire chief that this completely resolved."
Nesbitt added that the cleanup process is taking some time because the debris from the collapsed roof must be cleaned up before crews can finish the process of picking up the chemicals.
On-scene coordinator Rick Jardine with the EPA said that it is monitoring chlorine and hydrochloric acid.
Jardine also spoke about the debris in residents' yards, which he reiterated that BioLab will be addressing the cleanup process for that.
The fire broke out on Sunday, Sept. 29 and was eventually put out. Still, a plume of chemical chlorine products continues off-gassing into the air, impacting multiple surrounding counties as cleanup crews work.
The plant houses a variety of hazardous materials used in pool maintenance products. As crews worked to contain the fire, residents nearby were urged to stay indoors as a thick cloud of chemicals settled over their neighborhoods.
Rockdale County government facilities have since reopened.
County schools are currently virtual learning until Wednesday. It's still unclear if the schools will reopen, as there is currently no set time for cleanup to be finished.
"Our young people should be in a robust learning environment," Nesbitt added on Monday. He said that they are hoping students go back within the next coming days or weeks.
BioLab launched a resource website offering debris cleanup from residents' yards.
Since the fire broke out, the company has not made any member of its leadership team available for an on-camera interview.
Many questions still loom regarding the storage of the chemicals inside the facility, exactly what chemicals were being stored, and how this could happen again after two similar fires on the plane in 2020 and 2004.
On Sunday, a dozen demonstrators rallied at the state Capitol, calling to shut the company down.
A BioLab spokesperson released the following statement:
Concerns about debris from the BioLab fire are being addressed. BioLab is actively removing debris from public areas, roads and public land where wind has carried materials offsite. In addition to this, BioLab has established a debris removal service for community members who wish to have fire debris cleared from their property. Requests can be submitted to DebrisPickup@biolabinc.com. Additionally, BioLab has tested structural debris samples for asbestos, and the results have confirmed that none is present. Our website – BioLabCommunityResources.com – has the latest updates and information about resources for the Conyers community.