by Kandiss Edwards
October 17, 2024
BioLab continues damage control for Sept. 29 fire.
BioLab, in Conyers, Georgia, continues to deal with the fallout from the fire in its facilities on Sept. 29. The manufacturing facility is attempting to help Rockdale County residents by opening a Community Assistance Center, due to overwhelming numbers, hundreds were turned away, Atlanta News First reported.
Residents were reportedly told they could schedule appointments or walk-in to the facility. The center opened Oct. 15; still the lines and wait times are seen as excessive by some residents.
“They said it’s a first come, first serve basis, but a lot of these people have been out here since 7 a.m. this morning, first come first serve is not true,” Ericka Sanson said.
Sanson is attempting to file a claim for lost wages. Because of the toxic fumes Sanson was unable to work. She estimates 200 people were turned away from the facility.
The United States Census Bureau states the county is home to 93,570 residents. The official guidance from BioLab, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Rockdale County, also known as Unified Command, states residents should set an appointment at the outreach center or call the official hotline.
Long lines seems to be the least of BioLabs issues. BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on the class action lawsuit filed only a day after the fire. Residents are concerned about not only environmental impacts they are also concerned about the health implications.
Charmine Hall-Perez is one such resident. Hall-Perez is the mother of one-year-old Ivan Perez, spoke with 11 Alive News. The new mom lives 5.3 miles away from the facility and was driving down Interstate 20 when the plumes were thick in the air. Ivan was born six weeks premature with “weak lungs.”
“The smoke might not be there anymore, but nobody has told us what the long-term effects would be of this, especially on a premature lung,” she said.
“I don’t know what is going on, and because I don’t know and I don’t have answers, I don’t know how to move forward with this.”
Though she went to the hospital as a result of “itchy throat” and “coughing,” her medical records do not note any chemical exposure.
Hall-Perez will remain vigilant for the future implications of the fire on her and Ivan’s long- term health.
“As a mom, my job is to make sure my son is happy, healthy and safe,” she told 11 Alive.
“We sacrificed a lot as new parents in order to protect him because he is our future.”
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