ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA — Another lawsuit has been filed stemming from the BioLab chemical fire in Conyers in September 2024.
A pair of Rockdale County sheriff’s deputies and a Conyers resident have filed suit, claiming they suffered severe respiratory injuries from the fire and the massive smoke plume that hovered over the area for weeks.
A resident alleges her lungs were damaged while she was at home breathing the air. Officials say the deputies say they were injured while working near the facility.
The lawsuit seeks damages from the alleged exposure and claims BioLab stored millions of pounds of water-reactive pool chemicals in the warehouse. Officials say the warehouse had a corroding sprinkler system.
In April, a class-action lawsuit tied to the BioLab fire was filed and later moved toward the Georgia Supreme Court.
Oral arguments focused on whether BioLab and its parent company should be responsible for long-term medical monitoring of residents living near the facility off I-20 and Old Covington Highway.
That lawsuit argues residents were exposed to potentially toxic substances when the warehouse caught fire, sending a gas plume into the air for weeks. The fire forced thousands of people to shelter in place.
At the time of the chemical fire, neighbors in other counties reported a chlorine smell and smoke spreading after the fire. The fire forced evacuations of nearby communities in Rockdale County, the closure of schools in the area and raised many public health concerns.
Investigations later found BioLab improperly stored water-reactive chemicals at the facility, which contributed to the fire.
BioLab has said it will not rebuild the facility and later announced it was shutting down the site in 2025.
BioLab said it does not comment on pending litigation.