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News Articles: Rockdale County

2024 BioLab Fire Smoke Plume

Tagged as: 

  • News

Manufacturing Danger: The BioLab Story — You Can’t Find What You Don’t Look For

When BioLab burned in Conyers, officials told the public the danger was over. What if they never looked for the most toxic chemicals? This episode follows the trail of missing tests, hidden dioxins, and the local voices who refused to let the story fade, including the Rockdale County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor who kept asking the questions others stopped asking.

October 27, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
View from a Home Depot parking lot as smoke billows from a fire at the BioLab facility in Conyers, Ga., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024.

Tagged as: 

  • News

1 year after the BioLab fire in Conyers, investigations continue

Sept. 29 is the first anniversary of the BioLab fire in Conyers, Ga., where investigations continue into the chemical plume that shrouded parts of metro Atlanta in smoke and debris.

September 29, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
A massive cloud of multicolored smoke billows from the BioLab facility in Conyers, Ga. during the Sept. 29, 2024 chemical fire.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Federal judge says Rockdale County can’t recoup emergency costs from BioLab fire

A federal judge ruled that Rockdale County can't recover BioLab fire response costs, but other key claims in the lawsuit continue.

September 05, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
The BioLab fire in Conyers on September 29, 2024 sent a towering plume of chemical smoke into the air, forcing evacuations across Rockdale County.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Records reveal EPA surveillance of whistleblower who tested samples near BioLab fire

In an exclusive interview with GPB's Pamela Kirkland, environmental whistleblower Scott Smith discusses documents about suspected surveillance while he gathered soil and water samples after the BioLab fire in Conyers, Ga., in the fall of 2024.

August 20, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
A chemical plume and heavy smoke rise from the BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia, as firefighters respond to a chemical fire on September 29, 2024.

Tagged as: 

  • News

More than 10 months after BioLab fire, nearby residents still seek answers

In Conyers, Ga., residents are still searching for answers as new testing reveals harmful chemicals in soil and crops.

August 18, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
Thick smoke over a nearby gas station in Conyers, Georgia, on September 29 as a chemical fire at the nearby BioLab facility prompts evacuations and raises health concerns among residents

Tagged as: 

  • News

'This is not OK.' Former BioLab workers describe safety failure ahead of Conyers chemical fire

Four former BioLab employees say the Conyers plant ignored warnings and failed to fix critical hazards ahead of the September 2024 fire. Their accounts echo new findings from federal investigators.

August 14, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
A chemical plume and heavy smoke rise from the BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia, as firefighters respond to a chemical fire on September 29, 2024.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Chemical Safety Board says BioLab fire grows 'more disturbing' as new issues come to light

A new update in the federal investigation of the BioLab fire reveals the company was storing twice the intended amount of reactive chemicals before a fire at its plant in Conyers, Ga.

May 27, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
The BioLab plant in Conyers, Ga. is seen on Dec. 18, 2024, nearly three months after a Sept. 29 fire that left a weekslong chemical plume in the area.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Georgia chemical plant halts production following leak investigation

After a September fire, chemical maker BioLab is closing its plant in metro Atlanta's Rockdale County.

May 16, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland and
  • Orlando Montoya
Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated and others told to shelter in place after a fire at a chemical plant.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Manufacturing Danger: The BioLab Story - "I Don’t Know What I’ve Been Exposed To"

In Episode 5 of Manufacturing Danger: The BioLab Story, residents of Rockdale County share disturbing health symptoms they say began after the BioLab chemical fire — from high blood pressure to respiratory issues and chronic fatigue. We investigate what’s behind these symptoms, speaking with medical experts and community leaders launching a long-term health study.

May 05, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
BioLab’s Conyers facility, operated by KIK Consumer Products, on April 3, 2025.

Tagged as: 

  • News

OSHA blames chemical storage for BioLab fire. A former worker says she had safety concerns

OSHA cites BioLab for chemical storage violations tied to 2024 Conyers fire, proposing over $61,000 in fines.

April 08, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
The BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia, as seen on October 19, 2024. The plant remains partially closed following a chemical fire on September 29, 2024 that forced thousands of residents to evacuate.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Federal investigation Into BioLab fire could take up to 18 months

Federal investigators say it could take up to 18 months to complete their investigation into the fire at BioLab’s Conyers facility.

March 10, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
The BioLab plant in Conyers, Ga. is seen on Dec. 18, 2024, nearly three months after a Sept. 29 fire that left a weekslong chemical plume in the area.

Tagged as: 

  • News

BioLab offers voluntary severance packages as facility remains partially closed

The BioLab facility in Conyers is offering voluntary severance packages to employees seeking other job opportunities as the plant remains partially closed.

February 27, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
Community Action NOW! founder Iffat Walker with James Washington, research administrator at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

Tagged as: 

  • News

New study to track long-term health effects of BioLab fire in Conyers

A new, three-year study aimed at tracking the long-term health effects of last year’s chemical fire at the BioLab plant in Conyers will start next month.

February 25, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
Former Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel speaks during a press conference addressing the fire at the BioLab fire on Sept. 29, 2024.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Rockdale County's fire chief resigns months after BioLab fire

Her departure comes months after a chemical fire at the BioLab facility in Conyers, Ga., where cleaning products for swimming pools and spas are produced.

February 05, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
The BioLab plant in Conyers, Ga. is seen on Dec. 18, 2024, nearly three months after a Sept. 29 fire that left a weekslong chemical plume in the area.

Tagged as: 

  • News

Georgia lawmakers press BioLab parent company for updates on Conyers fire investigation

Members of Georgia’s congressional delegation are calling on KIK Consumer Products, the parent company of BioLab, to release updates on its investigation into the chemical fire at its Conyers facility last September.

January 27, 2025
|
By:
  • Pamela Kirkland
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