ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — As the number of class action lawsuits against bio lab grows, one lawyer reflects back to 2004.
Nine days after a fire at Biolab sent chemicals into the sky, Rockdale residents went to local and state officials demanding answers.
In public meetings at the county and state level, residents brought up their concerns with the fire and expressed frustration that the incident happened in the first place.
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“When it first happened, I was angry,” John Burks, a military veteran and now Rockdale resident, told Channel 2′s Michael Doudna.
Burks said he still feels the effects of the smoke, with a burning sensation in his chest, mouth, and eyes.
“Right now, I can taste some of the chemicals in my mouth. No matter how many times I brush my teeth it comes back,” Burks said.
So on Tuesday, Burks became part of a growing number of Rockdale residents joining a class action lawsuit.
It’s something that seems familiar to attorney Roger Orlando, who sued Biolab after a 2004 incident.
“It doesn’t look like they didn’t learn their lesson,” Orlando said.
The incident in 2004 closely mirrored the situation in 2024.
Back then, the complaint said the building sprinkler system was inappropriate, and a fire led to a chemical reaction that spewed toxic chemicals skyward.
The release of chemicals led to an immediate evacuation two miles around the plant.
“It mirrors what I saw in 2004 to the extent that it looks like the same cause, it looks like the same chemical, it looks like the same type of plume,” Orlando said.
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That lawsuit eventually settled for more than $7 million.
However, even after having to pay, Biolab has had other problems.
Issues in 2016 and 2020 caused closures and evacuations.
So, after another incident in 2024, Rockdale residents want Biolab to be held responsible again.
“They need to learn their lessons, whatever they may be, they need to learn them,” Orlando said.
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