ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — One Rockdale County resident said the last few weeks have been surreal since a fire broke out at a BioLab facility.
The fire first happened on Sept. 29 and was put out that same day, but it prompted a plume of chemicals to start emanating from the building. Now, on Monday, Oct. 14, the shelter-in-place order is still active for parts of the county. The plume has since gone down, but people close by say they are still waiting on when it will be safe to be outside at night.
Sher'ree Kellogg of Conyers said things are still not the same.
"Even though the plume is gone, it still feels eerie," Kellogg said. "It’s different. It’s concerning. Especially when you drive through that section of the highway, you get that alert every time you drive, and you hear it. And you look, and you can’t see the gas, but you know it’s there. It’s definitely concerning."
Concerns and questions continue from residents as the shelter-in-place continues from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for those in Rockdale County within two miles of the BioLab facility.
"I’m really frustrated, maybe even a little angry, because I just don’t have enough answers. I don’t have enough information," Kellogg said. "And you would think something of this magnitude, information would just be pouring out to us, and it’s just not happening."
Kellogg said she wants to know why residents aren't getting more updates regarding what's happening at the site.
The county's last "public awareness update" was on Oct. 9, and it said:
As part of ongoing BioLab cleanup efforts, operations will continue in a controlled and planned manner. This process will generate visible plumes, which are expected and closely monitored. Please note this is not a fire but part of a scheduled chemical product cleanup. While the additional plume in the area may be noticeable, there is no cause for alarm. We encourage the public to stay informed by following updates, but please only contact 911 in the event of an actual emergency.
On Oct. 12, the Unified Command, which is made up of Rockdale County Government, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Biolab, put out a news release that said, in part:
Significant progress has been identified in air quality monitoring efforts at and around the biolab Facility. Ongoing air quality assessments over the past two weeks show a steady reduction in chlorine levels, reflecting the success of mitigation and cleanup operations.
However, residents want to receive more communication.
"We’re just being left in the dark. Being told to ‘Just trust us. Public health is first, just trust us.’ Well, the trust is shaken, and, with that trust shaken, now you need to show me, and we’re just not seeing enough," Kellogg said.