Pamela travels to Roseland, Louisiana, after an explosion at Smitty’s Supply, a scene that mirrors the BioLab fire in Conyers, Georgia. She talks with residents, local leaders, and retired Lieutenant General Russell Honoré about health testing, cleanup, and the struggle to rebuild trust in public institutions. Along the way, she examines how the U.S. Chemical Safety Board balances limited authority with public expectation and how BioLab and its parent company, KIK Consumer Products, remain under scrutiny as investigations and enforcement actions continue.

Photo of the 2024 BioLab fire taken from a drone

Credit: Deandre Kimpson - instagram.com/im_deandre

 

In this episode, you will join a packed church in Roseland, Louisiana, where neighbors gather after an August explosion at Smitty’s Supply. Listen as residents describe oily residue on homes, porches, and playgrounds, and question official assurances that contaminants stayed below health thresholds. Roseland’s mayor, Van Showers, shares his frustration. At the same time, retired Lieutenant General Russel Honoré tells the room this is not a normal emergency and calls for independent air and water testing along with baseline blood tests.

Back in Georgia, Pamela connects the dots to BioLab. You will discover how people in Conyers watched Roseland’s fire unfold and reached out with warnings and hard-earned advice from their own displacement and medical concerns. Pamela also reports what federal records reveal about the early attention to BioLab, including a call from the White House Situation Room on the first day and the ongoing debate over reactive chemical gaps and the EPA’s Risk Management Program.

Finally, we explain why the Chemical Safety Board matters. Board member Catherine Sandoval shares how recommendations can drive change even without enforcement power. Pamela notes new Georgia EPD enforcement at BioLab and continued OSHA oversight, but residents are still waiting for answers and for assurance that the next plume will not rise over another town.

Tags: BioLab  podcast  Conyers  Atlanta  Louisiana