BioLab, the company behind the Rockdale County pool chemical plant that caught on fire in September, has set a New Year’s Eve deadline for residents to file claims to get paid back for expenses incurred as a result of the blaze.
In a statement Wednesday, the company said it will accept claims until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31. Company representatives announced the deadline after noting a “steady decrease in the volume of incoming new claims.”
The fire led to road and school closures, hospitalizations and the evacuation of 17,000 people in the surrounding community as plumes of smoke and vapors filled the air for days. The smoke eventually drifted closer to the city of Atlanta, where residents reported a chlorine smell and haze.
Even after the evacuations were lifted, residents within a two-mile radius of the plant were under nightly shelter-in-place warnings until mid-October.
The company faces several lawsuits, which could become a class-action suit. A federal judge has already ordered that BioLab is not allowed to make people sign away their rights to any relief that might come from a lawsuit in exchange for reimbursements of out-of-pocket costs associated with the fire, such as paying for a hotel.
BioLab is, however, allowed to offset any final monetary award to claimants with the financial assistance it provides outside the litigation.
The company said the most efficient way to file a claim is to email information to BioLabClaims@biolabinc.com. A claimant must include their name, address, phone number, a list of the items being claimed and their associated costs, as well as any supporting documentation, such as receipts.
Claims can also be made by calling BioLab’s 24/7 call center at 678-301-2359.
Since Oct. 8, the company said it has responded to more than 29,000 calls and 9,000 emails, as well as assisted 4,000 individuals through its in-person Community Assistance Center, located at 927 North Main Street in Conyers.
The center will be open through Dec. 21 to assist anyone who needs help with the claims process. It will reopen in January to help distribute checks for any remaining claims submitted before the deadline.
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