Local residents of Conyers, Georgia have been ordered to evacuate or shelter-in-place due to a chemical incident at the BioLab Plant.
BioLab makes cleaning products for swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs, but it is unclear what chemicals were involved in the incident.
Officials explained that at around 5 a.m. on Sunday morning, a sprinkler head malfunctioned at the BioLab plant.
“The water came in contact with a water-reactive chemical and produced a plume. A small fire broke out on the roof,” Rockdale County officials said in an Emergency Situation Update.
The roof fire was quickly contained, but it re-ignited later in the afternoon. The plume seen rising from the BioLab plant throughout the day on Sunday involved chemicals reacting with water, officials said.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also on-site, testing the plume to “give us more of an idea of what the plume consists of.”
BioLab has had multiple chemical incidents that resulted in people being evacuated from Conyers, including one in September 2020. Another incident involving chlorine and other chemicals in May 2004 resulted in 9 people seeking medical attention, according to local news.
Source: BioLab plant fire: Georgia residents evacuate as toxic smoke billows from chemical-fueled inferno