A chemical reaction inside a Conyers plant prompted the closure of Interstate 20 in both directions for more than six hours Monday and led to major traffic congestion and the evacuation of surrounding businesses.
Firefighters responded to the BioLab plant in the 1700 block of Old Covington Highway shortly before 6 a.m. The warehouse has been the site of several chemical fires over the past 16 years.
No injuries were reported.
Officials blocked several miles of I-20 between Sigman Road and West Avenue as a chlorine vapor cloud billowed into the air above the warehouse. Drivers were urged to avoid the area and residents were encouraged to shelter in place, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The interstate reopened shortly after 1 p.m.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
BioLab, which has operated in Conyers since 1973, houses production and storage space for pool and spa water treatment chemicals. Monday’s chemical reaction involved about a dozen pallets of dry chemicals inside the facility, fire officials said.
“There were no flames, but there was heat involved,” Rockdale fire spokeswoman Jamie Leavell said. “Something happened in there that caused the chemical to put off that vapor cloud.”
The cloud was caused by water exposure, said a BioLab spokesman, though fire officials said the exact cause remains under investigation.
“We are not aware of any injuries and have confirmed there is no fire at the facility,” the company said in a prepared statement. “Our management team is on the scene, working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation.”
The company said it has notified the U.S. Chemical and Safety Hazard Investigation Board.
A chemical fire at the facility on May 25, 2004, created a noxious cloud of smoke that stretched over east Georgia, closed I-20 for hours, and forced thousands of people from their homes and businesses. Residents were evacuated again after a second chemical fire June 4, 2016.
In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency fined BioLab $319,000 for not properly registering two of its swimming pool products. The agency wanted to chemicals to be classified as insecticides. BioLab disagreed. At one time, BioLab was on the state’s list of hazardous waste sites for suspected groundwater contamination. The issue involved an underground tank that BioLab removed, according to the company. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined BioLab’s Conyers facility twice between 1999 and 2004, totaling about $10,200.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
