Manufacturing Danger: The BioLab Story - Now What?

Credit: GPB

In the final episode of Manufacturing Danger: The BioLab Story, host Pamela Kirkland returns to Jean Sadler, a longtime Conyers resident and pillar of her community. Jean and her husband, Al, pastor the Church of New Beginnings, where they’ve comforted others while quietly grappling with their own health issues in the wake of the September 2024 BioLab fire. As Pamela revisits Jean’s experience, we hear how that day forced the couple to evacuate, how lingering symptoms still affect them, and how uncertainty about BioLab’s future continues to weigh on the community. With Jean’s deep ties to both the plant and her congregation, her story captures the personal toll of a disaster that left lasting scars.

But Jean isn’t the only one still asking questions. Cheryl Garcia, another Conyers resident, has turned her concern into civic action. After realizing how unprepared local officials seemed in the face of the BioLab fire, Cheryl dug into records, joined the county’s Citizens Financial Oversight Committee, and began holding local leaders accountable. Her work has uncovered financial mismanagement and spurred a push to prepare Rockdale County for a future that may no longer include BioLab’s million-dollar tax contributions. Still, she worries systemic problems and a lack of federal support could limit how much change is possible.

Meanwhile, a long-dormant tool meant to protect communities like Rockdale is finally coming back online. The county’s Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) has started meeting again, aiming to rebuild trust and coordination across public safety agencies, local organizations, and, ideally, industry stakeholders—though few showed up to the first meeting. Community advocates like Gwen Smith stress that while laws exist to prevent disasters like this, enforcement and funding have been inconsistent. With more than a dozen toxic sites in the area and a predominantly Black population already facing health disparities, Rockdale County’s fight for environmental justice and safety is just beginning.