ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners is expected to sue BioLab and its parent company, KIK, after an explosion and subsequent chemical plume forced thousands to evacuate.
Post 1 Commissioner Sherri Washington is leading the lawsuit on behalf of the board and is filing it in federal court on Monday in the Northern District of Georgia to declare BioLab as a public nuisance.
It is seeking an injunction to shut down BioLab and damages for residents and businesses affected by the fire on Sept. 29.
Washington is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. to provide more details about the lawsuit.
On Thursday, Rockdale County officials announced the shelter-in-place order had been lifted for the community after several weeks.
On Friday, BioLab officials said the site's chemicals had been treated and no longer produced fumes. The same day, they added in a news release that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had recorded 72 hours of no air quality exceedances in the community.
Despite BioLab opening a community assistance center and a 24-hour hotline for those seeking information or compensation, residents said support has been limited.
Many feel abandoned by both the local government and the company responsible.