BioLab fire report reveals 'disturbing' lack of safeguards for chemical storage, agency says
A new report from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board into last year's BioLab chemical fire has revealed what officials say was a "disturbing" lack of safeguards in how the plant stored corrosive chemicals.
Authorities say that "repeated failures" in the building's sprinkler system were reported in the years before the fire started.
The report also showed that the sacks filled with reactive chemicals were stored alongside other dry chemicals.
CONYERS, Ga. - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a new report as part of its investigation into a massive fire at the BioLab chemical plant in Conyers last year.
The fire sent a toxic chemical cloud into the air and forced thousands of residents to shelter in place for weeks.
The backstory
The fires broke out Sept. 29 at the BioLab plant in Conyers, sending a huge plume of orange and black smoke into the sky.
BioLab makes chemicals that kill algae and bacteria in water, primarily for swimming pools and hot tubs. The company is a subsidiary of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products.
According to a previous report by the CSB, the fire began that morning after products stored inside a warehouse that were reactive to water became wet. Employees reported hearing a "popping sound" before the "large toxic vapor plumes" formed inside the building.
Interstate 20, which runs parallel to the facility, was shut down shortly after the building collapsed just before 1 p.m. and was closed until about 7 a.m. the next day. Smaller roads near the facility remained closed and the Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency issued shelter-in-place warnings within a two-mile radius that lasted for several weeks. The final order expired Oct. 17.
SEE ALSO:
Town hall meeting for residents impacted by BioLab fire
OSHA cites BioLab for safety violations after Conyers facility fire
New health survey studying impacts of Rockdale County BioLab chemical fire
Smoke drifted toward Atlanta, causing a smog or haze that smelled of chlorine in parts of the city and surrounding area.
More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed in connection with the fire. Commissioners announced a lawsuit against BioLab in October 2024, citing the physical and emotional tolls the company has caused the community.
Earlier this month, BioLab announced that it had completed environmental remediation at its Conyers facility but would not resume manufacturing operations due to ongoing production challenges and future business considerations.
What we know
In the new report, the agency said that BioLab was storing more than twice the amount of reactive chemicals in its warehouse than was previously disclosed.
Back in 2019, county officials were originally told around 6 million pounds of raw materials would be placed in the facility. At the time of the fire, officials say that nearly 14 million pounds of the material were stored in the building.
The agency said that the oxidizers were stored in large bags holding more than a ton of material in each. These bags were reportedly stored in piles alongside other dry chemicals.
The CSB is still investigating the source of the water that started the fire. Officials do say that there had been reported corrosion in facility's fire protection system,
"Corrosion was noted shortly after the storage of corrosive chemicals including trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) began in 2019, and repeated failures in the sprinkler system were documented in subsequent inspection reports," the agency said.
What they're saying
"The more we learn about this unacceptable incident, the more disturbing it is," said CSB Chairperson Steve Owens. "This is a stark reminder of the very serious dangers that can occur when enormous amounts of reactive and corrosive chemicals are stored without proper safeguards in place."
What's next
The investigation into the fire remains ongoing. The agency says it will eventually issue non-binding safety recommendations.
The Source
Information for this story came from a release by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and previous FOX 5 stories.
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