Latest news with #chemicalfire
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
BioLab contests inspection reports on Rockdale Co. chemical plant
BioLab, Inc. is contesting a federal inspection that found that improper chemical storage caused the massive fire in Rockdale County last year. The fire pushed a plume of chlorine gas into the air, causing evacuations. A shelter-in-place order was in effect for nearly a month. Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors cited the company with six violations in April of this year. One explanation said the fire started because '…hazardous chemicals such as, but not limited to, Trichloroisocyanuric acid, (TCCA), 99% Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate (DCCA), and Bromochloro-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (BCDMH) were not stored properly.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In May, the company said it would stop manufacturing chemicals at its Conyers facility but said distribution is still operational there. 'We are still under the impression there are still poisonous chemicals there, and that is the problem,' Porchse Miller told Channel 2's Courtney Francisco. Miller is one of those neighbors suing BioLab, Inc. The Rockdale County Government is suing as well. 'If they have a distribution site, there got to be chemicals still there,' said Miller. County leaders declined to comment due to pending litigation. RELATED STORIES: BioLab to close Rockdale County facility at center of chemical fire 'Treat it more seriously:' Rockdale County man says BioLab fire made him sick Residents of Rockdale County demand answers after BioLab chemical fire I asked BioLab, Inc. if it had changed how it stores chemicals. A spokesperson said he cannot comment on that at the time. Federal records show BioLab, Inc. contested all six of the code violations inspectors cited it with in April. If a company challenges results within 15 days, it can get a hearing in front of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Channel 2 is waiting for the Department of Labor to confirm that BioLab, Inc. met that deadline. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Concerns about BioLab chemical fire resurfacing
Exposure to BioLab, Inc.'s chemical fire was the topic of conversation for nearly three hours Wednesday night. People who live close to the plant that caught on fire in Sept. met for a town hall meeting to discuss health concerns and legal options. 'I still don't know the long term effects,' said Ashton Carter. 'It started affecting my breathing, my nose, my eyes,' said Travis Benson. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Nearly a month after the fire, shelter-in-place orders were lifted and federal and state leaders said there was no immediate threat to the community, but attorneys called a town hall meeting to gauge the community's response to it. 'How their life has been impacted by what happened at BioLab is important,' said Mindy Bish. Bish told the crowd she would file each civil suit separately instead of choosing the class action route. 'No two cases are the same. We have one person who, for example, is having trouble breathing, another person whose heart ailment has gotten worse. We have women who haven't been able to get pregnant,' said Bish. An environmentalist told people in the crowd he gathered ground, water and surface samples around BioLab after the fire. A doctor compared lab results to chlorine bombs used in chemical warfare. TRENDING STORIES: GBI says teen brothers died of self-inflicted injuries on north GA mountain Facebook Marketplace car theft ring ends in dozens of charges for 2 women, Gwinnett police say Severe weather leaves behind multiple reports of damage Some wonder if challenging BioLab is worth it. 'I really do feel powerless against it,' said Cater. Attorneys told the crowd they have to file suits challenging Rockdale County's response to the emergency within one year of an incident. 'I'd like to get more insight, more information, more knowledge as to exactly what we were exposed to, what we're breathing in and what were the long term effects,' said Carter. BioLab, Inc. announced earlier this month it will no longer manufacture in Conyers. It said the distribution center will remain operational. Channel 2's Courtney Francisco reached out to the company Wednesday night to find out if that means it will be storing chemicals there. We are waiting for a response. A Department of Labor investigation released in April said the fire happened because BioLab stored its product improperly. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Company decides not to rebuild chlorine plant with history of fires, explosions and toxic clouds
CONYERS, Ga. (AP) — The company that operated a Georgia chlorine plant with a history of explosions, chemical fires and toxic clouds that have drifted over neighborhoods outside Atlanta has decided not to rebuild the main manufacturing facility in Conyers. In a statement, BioLab Inc. said it has been unable to resume manufacturing operations in Conyers after the most recent catastrophe on Sept. 29. 'After taking steps to meet customer needs through alternative production, and in considering our future business needs carefully, we have made the difficult decision not to restart manufacturing at the Conyers plant,' it said. Though manufacturing won't restart, the company's Conyers distribution center will remain operational and fill customer orders for products from other manufacturing facilities, BioLab said. 'We take our role in Conyers very seriously, and as we move forward, the safety and wellbeing of the Conyers community remain a top priority.' The September fire sent a huge plume of orange and black smoke into the Georgia sky, forcing nearby residents to shelter in place, leading to classes canceled for schoolchildren and the closure of a major interstate. Last month, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released an update on its investigation. The company improperly stored hazardous chemicals, federal authorities said. BioLab was cited for six violations, including four serious ones, and more than $60,000 in proposed penalties, the U.S. Department of Labor said. 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. Its Conyers plant is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of downtown Atlanta.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Company decides not to rebuild chlorine plant with history of fires, explosions and toxic clouds
The company that operated a Georgia chlorine plant with a history of explosions, chemical fires and toxic clouds that have drifted over neighborhoods outside Atlanta has decided not to rebuild the main manufacturing facility in Conyers. In a statement, BioLab Inc. said it has been unable to resume manufacturing operations in Conyers after the most recent catastrophe on Sept. 29. 'After taking steps to meet customer needs through alternative production, and in considering our future business needs carefully, we have made the difficult decision not to restart manufacturing at the Conyers plant,' it said. Though manufacturing won't restart, the company's Conyers distribution center will remain operational and fill customer orders for products from other manufacturing facilities, BioLab said. 'We take our role in Conyers very seriously, and as we move forward, the safety and wellbeing of the Conyers community remain a top priority.' The September fire sent a huge plume of orange and black smoke into the Georgia sky, forcing nearby residents to shelter in place, leading to classes canceled for schoolchildren and the closure of a major interstate. Last month, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released an update on its investigation. The company improperly stored hazardous chemicals, federal authorities said. BioLab was cited for six violations, including four serious ones, and more than $60,000 in proposed penalties, the U.S. Department of Labor said. 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. Its Conyers plant is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of downtown Atlanta.
The Independent
10-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Toxic cloud warning forces 160,000 inside in Spain's tourism region
A chemical fire at an industrial estate in Catalonia, Spain, has prompted authorities to issue a shelter-in-place warning for approximately 160,000 residents. The fire, which ignited at a company specializing in swimming pool cleaning products, began around 2am local time in Vilanova i la Geltru, a town situated 48 kilometers south of Barcelona. The blaze resulted in a substantial cloud of chlorine smoke spreading across the region, raising concerns about potential health risks. Emergency services are actively monitoring the situation and advising residents to remain indoors until further notice. "If you are in the zone that is affected do not leave your home or your place of work," the Civil Protection service said on social media site X. No one has been hurt in the fire, Catalan emergency services said on Saturday, but residents in five towns were sent a message on their mobile phones telling them to remain inside. "It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire but when it does so it is very hard to put it out," the owner of the industrial property, Jorge Vinuales Alonso, told local radio station Rac1. He said the cause of the fire might have been a lithium battery. Trains which were due to pass through the area were held up, roads were blocked and other events were cancelled. The fire was under control, Civil Protection spokesperson Joan Ramon Cabello told the TVE television channel.
