ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Monday brought a bit of normalcy for Rockdale County as schools reopened buildings for the first time in weeks following a chemical fire at BioLab.
The fire happened on Sunday, Sept. 29, which sent a plume of smoke and chemicals containing chlorine in the sky across metro Atlanta for days and forced a shelter-in-place order for residents for much of the last nearly three weeks. However, the shelter-in-place was lifted by Rockdale County officials during a Thursday afternoon news conference.
Rockdale County Schools announced that students will head back to school in person on Monday after spending the weeks of Oct. 7-11 and Oct. 14-18 learning online due to the chemical plume in the aftermath of the fire.
The decision to bring students back comes after the district was told progress had been made in the cleanup of the plant site, sharing in an online statement that officials have reported no visible plumes and no significant spikes in air monitor readings while the EPA will continue monitoring the site and air quality. Students in the Rockdale school system were out of school the week after the plume due to an already-planned fall break.
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11Alive spoke with mom Jackee Taylor on Monday as she prepared to drop her child off at school. Taylor said her family experienced symptoms believed to be linked to the plume exposure, while also sharing her kids are on board with being back in the classroom.
“He's ready, I’m ready,” Taylor said, adding the family has been barely coping amid the school closures. “It’s been rough because we were affected by everything.”
As families like Taylor’s juggled the unexpected with virtual learning, groups like the Boys & Girls opened their doors to give kids and teens extra accommodations.
“In light of the recent BioLab fire in Rockdale County, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta is proactively supporting our families by enhancing our services to meet their needs,” the organization shared.
The organization said the Gus Barksdale Club in Conyers remained open during the school closures to provide virtual learning opportunities for the youth.
"We offered a safe, inclusive and engaging environment for our kids and teens to play, learn, and discuss the impact of the fire that has rocked their community." the organization said. "Our dedicated staff continues to work tirelessly to ensure that families feel supported during this challenging time, fostering resilience and community connection as we navigate the recovery process together.”
As Rockdale County Commissioners announced a federal lawsuit against BioLab on Monday, Commissioner Sherri Washington particularly noted the price kids, in particular, have paid when it comes to fire’s fallout.
“Even our precious children's education has been affected by this company's malfeasance,” Washington said.
In the online statement to families, Rockdale County Public Schools’ superintendent indicated the district will continue to monitor the BioLab cleanup and will be prepared to modify any operations of buses or outdoor activities as needed.
In a statement Monday regarding the lawsuit, a Biolab spokesperson said the company had not seen the complaint yet, so it would be inappropriate for them to comment other than to note that BioLab worked with the county and other parties to complete the emergency response operations.
"We also worked diligently alongside the County to quickly stand up support resources for community members – including a process to be reimbursed for expenses related to the incident – and we remain fully committed to making things right for impacted area residents and business owners," the statement said from the BioLab spokesperson.