According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a shelter-in-place order for all of Rockdale County has been extended indefinitely.

“Environmental officials are investigating a fire at BioLab, a chemical facility in Conyers, that sent a colossal wall of smoke that billowed into the air Sunday afternoon and led to the evacuation order of about 17,000 people and several road closures, including I-20, which remain closed Monday,” the outlet wrote.

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Residents there will likely see the plume of smoke — now a chemical reaction and not a fire — for several days.

“In the best interest and safety of the public and all citizens, it is recommended that businesses close operations until shelter-in-place is lifted,” county officials said in a news release.

The decision is based on air quality surveys conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division, “which revealed the harmful irritant chlorine, which was detected in the air emitting from the incident location of BioLab. For everyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn the air conditioning off and keep windows and doors shut,” officials said.

Additionally, both directions of I-20 were closed from Turner Hill Road to Almon Road overnight Sunday. The highway reopened around 7:30 a.m. Monday.

“It was the third time in seven years that a fire has ignited at the plant,” the outlet noted.

WATCH:

“The order was issued for more than 90,000 residents of Rockdale County after the fire at BioLab in Conyers sent a massive plume of dark smoke high into the sky that could been seen from miles away,” Daily Mail noted.

WATCH:

WATCH:

Per Daily Mail:

BioLab manufactures pool and spa treatment products – including chlorine.

Air quality surveys done by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Environmental Protection Division ‘revealed the harmful irritant chlorine’ detected in the air from the fire at the BioLab plant in Conyers, Georgia, the Rockdale County Government said in statement early Monday.

‘For everyone sheltering in place, the best practice is to turn the air conditioning off and keep windows and doors shut,’ the statement said of the accident that has affected the entire county.

The fire was brought under control around 4pm Sunday, officials said.

Interstate 20, which was shut down in both directions in the area on Sunday, was reopened Monday morning, officials said.

People in the northern part of Rockdale County, north of Interstate 20, were ordered to evacuate on Sunday and others were told to shelter in place.

This is the second fire within the past decade at the facility. The lab experienced a ‘thermal decomposition event’ that led to a fire in September of 2020.

The building’s warehouse was damaged after strong winds from Hurricane Laura allowed rainwater into the building, which is what started the previous fire, the US Chemical Safety Board found.

 

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