ATLANTA — A chemical fire at Biolab’s facility in Rockdale County on Sunday spread chlorine-filled smoke across the metro Atlanta area, resulting in the evacuation of thousands of people, multiple school closures, and the shutdown of a major interstate highway for hours. The facility has a history of fires and other incidents and has been cited multiple times in recent years for safety violations.
In response, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director G Webber (they/them) is calling for the facility to be shut down and for other reforms necessary to prevent an incident like this from happening in the future.
“Any facility that can shut down I-20 and require the evacuation of thousands of people needs to be closely monitored and regulated, and it’s clear that didn’t happen with Biolab’s facility in Rockdale County," Webber said. "Despite multiple safety violations and a history of dangerous fires, Biolab has been allowed to continue its operations. For the health and safety of this community, this facility should be shut down, and Biolab and its parent company should be held accountable for the damage they have caused. No small fines or settlements – the company must be disincentivized from continuing this pattern of unsafe behavior.
“We are also calling on state lawmakers to address this issue when they reconvene in January, such as previously proposed ‘Bad Actor’ legislation that would prevent companies with dangerous track records from obtaining permits to operate. Lastly, state and federal regulators need to increase the frequency of inspections of facilities that handle hazardous material and take real steps to address safety violations when they arise.”
About the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter
The Sierra Club Georgia Chapter is the largest grassroots environmental organization in the state, with more than 75,000 members and supporters. The Chapter supports a robust outings program and has active committees working on forest and coastal protection, transit expansion, and clean energy. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/georgia.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit sierraclub.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ricky Leroux, Communications Strategist
404-607-1262 ext. 234 | ricky.leroux@sierraclub.org