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New health survey studying impacts of Rockdale County BioLab chemical fire

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Published  March 11, 2025 6:37pm EDT
Rockdale County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Rockdale County BioLab fire impact study

A community-led initiative in Rockdale County aims to study the impact the fire at the BioLab had on residents.

The Brief

    • Nearly six months after the chemical fire at the BioLab in Rockdale County, a community-led group is working to study the long-term effects.
    • Community Action NOW! partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine to conduct a Post-Fire Public Health Recovery survey to study the long-term health impacts.
    • They're asking residents in Rockdale, Newton, Walton, Henry, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties to participate.
    • The study will take place over the next three years. The first year is focused on surveying residents.
    • Those who volunteer can also have their health monitored over the following years.

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - Nearly six months after the chemical fire at the BioLab in Rockdale County, a community-led group is working to study the long-term effects.

The backstory:

A fire broke out at BioLab in Conyers on Sept. 29. Water mixed with the pool shock product inside, sending chemicals, like chlorine, into the air for days. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate.

Since that day, there have been calls to shut the facility down in Conyers following previous fires. The facility partially re-opened in November.

Commissioners announced a lawsuit against BioLab in October, citing the physical and emotional tolls the company has caused the community.

What they're saying:

Many residents in and around Rockdale County are still dealing with health issues after the chemical fire at the BioLab in September.

"I have this horrid cough and this hoarse voice. None of this happened until the BioLab fire," Cheryl Garcia said.

"Ever since the BioLab fire, I just haven't been able to breathe right. Some days I wheeze worse than others. Sometimes, my nose constantly burns," Brandi Pilgrim added.

BioLab plume victims want facility shut down

Protesters gathered outside of Rockdale County offices urging their elected officials to take more action against the BioLab. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, an expert’s efforts to test the soil and water after the chemical fire have confirmed some residents' fear of exposure.

They're both glad to see a survey like this take place.

"The long-term impact of it is what's scaring me the most," Pilgrim said.

"I'm very concerned that down the road I may develop cancer, but nobody is monitoring that," Garcia added.

"This is a way to support our local governments as well and saying, ‘Hey, this is what the findings of our survey says. We want to be able to provide you with this information so we can build better systems of communication and response and also prevention,’" Iffat Walker, Executive Director of Community Action NOW! explained.

The other side:

BioLab sent us the following statement:

"BioLab is continuing to complete its onsite clean-up efforts while assisting area residents and business owners. Our in-person Community Assistance Center remains open to distribute checks for approved claims that were filed during the intake period, which concluded at year-end following a steady decrease in the volume of incoming new claims and multiple public notices. We have also continued to assist community members through our dedicated call center and email support."

The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kim Leoffler interviewed Rockdale County residents for this article. Other details about the chemical fire were previously reported by FOX 5 Atlanta (linked).

Rockdale CountyNews