‘Enough is enough’: Commissioners to file federal lawsuit over Biolab fire, chemical plume

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners announced on Monday that they plan to file a federal lawsuit against BioLab.

“To hold BioLab accountable for all of the malfeasance and nuisance that they’ve caused upon the county,” Commissioner Sherri Washington said.

In September, a chemical fire broke out inside the BioLab facility. The fire created a lingering chlorine plume that forced people to shelter in place for their safety.

Commissioner Doreen Williams showed Channel 2′s Audrey Washington how the plume hovered over her home for days.

“We were forced to evacuate and by the time we left, it was kind of inundating us,” Williams said.

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There are already a number of class action lawsuits against BioLab, but once filed, this will be a federal lawsuit against the company.

“The goal is to file on behalf of the county for any damages the county experienced,” said attorney Shayna Sacks.

Sherri Washington said she won’t be satisfied until the Biolab facility is shut down for good.

“BioLab needs to be held accountable and enough is enough,” she said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for BioLab wrote:

“We have not seen the complaint yet and so it would be inappropriate for us to comment, other than to note that BioLab worked collaboratively with the County and other parties as part of the Unified Command to successfully complete the emergency response operations at our Conyers facility, while at all times prioritizing public health and safety. We also worked diligently alongside the County to quickly stand up (sp) support resources for community members – including a process to be reimbursed for expenses related to the incident – and we remain fully committed to making things right for impacted area residents and business owners.”

Commissioners said they plan to hold a town hall for citizens regarding the federal lawsuit.

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