Georgia Today: CDC changes vaccine recommendations; MTG speaks out against bio-waste facility

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On this episode, the CDC no longer will recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. An insurance company sues the Biolab Chemical Plant in Conyers, and congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green speaks out against a proposed bio-waste facility in Murray County. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene: The people sitting behind me, they own cattle. They farm their food. They don't need your *expletive* jobs.

Orlando Montoya: Today is Friday, Dec. 5. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has voted to change the vaccine schedule for hepatitis B. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has more on what the recommendation from the panel known as ACIP means for infants currently receiving the shot. 

Ellen Eldridge: Since 1991, the vaccine has been given to newborns shortly after birth. The committee now recommends that only when a mom tests positive for hepatitis B or has not been tested. Otherwise, parents can elect to wait until their baby is two months old. Michael Ninberg is a past president of the World Hepatitis Alliance. He spoke out against the changes ahead of ACIP's meeting. 

Michael Ninberg: The sowing of doubt is is probably the most dangerous part because parents are going to just kick the can down the road, oftentimes, if they can. 

Ellen Eldridge: Hepatitis B is especially dangerous for children and can lead to complications like liver failure or cancer. The state Department of Public Health plans to assess how changes could affect Georgia's newborns. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge. 

Caption

A massive cloud of multicolored smoke billows from the BioLab facility in Conyers, Ga. during the Sept. 29, 2024 chemical fire.

Credit: U.S. Chemical Safety Board

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: An insurance company is suing BioLab and its parent company for $20 million over the 2024 chemical fire at its plant east of Atlanta. BioLab made pool cleaning products at its plant in Conyers before it burned down, sending a toxic plume over metro Atlanta. GPB's Pamela Kirkland has more. 

Pamela Kirkland: Verlan Fire Insurance Co. filed the case in federal court earlier this month. The insurer says it's paid more than $20 million to a nearby HVAC supplier for damage tied to the fire. They argue BioLab, along with parent companies KIK Custom Products and KIK International LLC, should be responsible for those losses. The complaint alleges BioLab lacked an adequate fire suppression system and emergency response plan. BioLab has pushed back on earlier federal findings about the fire and has not yet responded in this case. The company did not respond to GPB’s request for comment. BioLab is also facing a class-action lawsuit filed by residents and businesses, and a separate federal suit filed by Rockdale County. For GPB News, I'm Pamela Kirkland.

Orlando Montoya: And for more reporting on the accident and its aftermath, listen to the GPB podcast Manufacturing Danger: The BioLab Story, available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: Federal workplace safety officials are fining a construction company for violations after an investigation into a worker's death at the Qcells plant in Northwest Georgia's Bartow County. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said yesterday that Hyongwon E And C America failed to protect workers against hazards related to asphyxiation from nitrogen gas at the facility. 33-year-old Marion Jose Rugama died at the site in May. OSHA is proposing about $20,000 in penalties for the employer.

Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: Rome congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green on Thursday made one of her first district appearances since announcing her resignation from Congress last month. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports she and others spoke out against a bio-waste facility. 

Sarah Kallis: Greene and over 300 of her constituents say they are opposed to the construction of a proposed bio-waste digester in Northwest Georgia's Murray County. Vanguard, the company who will own the plant, sent representatives to a town hall to answer constituent questions. Greene says the company is out of touch with resident needs. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene: While you lecture these people with your pathetic little slideshows about how digestion works and methane gas, the people sitting behind me, they own cattle, they farm their food, they don't need your *expletive* jobs. 

Sarah Kallis: At the end of the meeting, the Murray County commissioner ultimately decided to put the plant on hold. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Murray County. 

Story 5:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia's freshman member of the U.S. House is championing a bill that would overhaul the nation's boxing regulations. West Georgia Republican Brian Jack spoke Thursday at the House Committee considering a bill that he and a Kansas Democrat introduced: the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. 

Brian Jack: Our legislation clarifies ambiguities in current law that have stifled innovation and investment into the sport. This bill allows for the creation of alternative systems called unified boxing organizations that will provide professional boxers with better pay and greater protections. 

Orlando Montoya: A wide range of supporters, including boxing legend Mike Tyson and major arenas, support the bill. Critics, including some on the committee, worry the legislation could advance corporate interests over those of individual athletes.

Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: Cold weather couldn't stop soccer fans from gathering in Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final draw watch party. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports fans on Friday were eager to see where their teams placed for the June matches. 

Amanda Andrews: The Atlanta World Cup Host Committee hosted a block party with food, games, and a DJ to celebrate the drawing. The 2026 competition will feature an expanded 48 teams competing, with Atlanta hosting eight of the 104 games. Mike Reese is a World Cup volunteer and a U.S. men's soccer fan. He says it's exciting to see so many nationalities represented in one place. 

Mike Reese: People will be playing drums and having music and having great times and all dressed in their team colors and their team pride and and yeah, as as patriots here in the United States we get excited, but to see how other people are excited about their own country is truly amazing. 

Amanda Andrews: The United States is in Group D. They'll face Australia and Paraguay in the opening matches. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews. 

Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: In Georgia sports, Alabama and Georgia meet once again this weekend in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. For Alabama, it marks a return to the title game after missing it last year. First-year coach Calen DeVore said he's proud of the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide and offered praise for Georgia's consistency under coach Kirby Smart, who has led the Bulldogs to five straight championship appearances. 11-1 Georgia is playing to hold on to a top four playoff position and the first round bye that comes with it. The Bulldogs are seeking their fourth SEC title under Smart. Alabama has won all four previous championship meetings between the two programs.

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. I invite you to visit our webpage, GPB.org/news, where you'll find the latest reports from our GPB newsroom. Make it a regular part of your routine when you're checking for news across the web. We invite you also to hit "Subscribe" on this podcast. Do it right now. That'll help you to stay current with us in your feed, and it'll help us by staying connected to you. If you have feedback for us, send that our way. Our email address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Orlando Montoya, filling in for Peter Biello today as we head into the holiday season. Another Christmas weekend is upon us, so enjoy the festivities and stay cheerful. I'm Orlando Montoya. Talk to you later.

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news