ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — The Environmental Protection Agency is testing a pond about half a mile away from BioLab’s facility months after the chemical fire.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot spoke to people living in the area who aren’t fans of BioLab and those feelings only became stronger after the chemical fire.
He learned that the EPA recently tested a pond known as VFW Lake, because it’s on the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ property. But opponents of the facility say they’ve had the water tested too.
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Renita Williams says she and her family live close enough to the facility that they could smell the burning chemicals and have since become worried that some of those chemicals could have settled into the pond.
“I was worried because my mama, she’s a diabetic and plus, she has chronic lung and all that stuff, so I was really worried because it got into my house,” Williams said.
NewsDrone 2 flew over the pond to show just how close it is to the facility during Channel 2 Action News at 4:00 p.m.
Elliot learned the EPA tested the water, but hasn’t been able to learn the results of those test just yet.
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On Tuesday, a coalition of groups calling for BioLab’s closure will hold a news conference at the Georgia State Capitol and a community forum in Conyers. They claim they’ve also tested the water.
“You really don’t expect to see these kind of volatile chemicals showing up in water,” independent tester Scott Smith said.
Smith says he’s found chemicals in the water consistent to chemicals being stored at BioLab. He says that means the chemicals were likely in the air and people were exposed to them.
The EPA did not confirm Smith’s results to Channel 2 Action News.
Channel 2 Action News also reached out to BioLab for a comment, but has not heard back.
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