ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Several class action lawsuits have been filed against BioLab after a fire at its chemical plant in Rockdale County.
Attorneys representing thousands of people who live near the facility say negligence led to the fire that’s still affecting thousands and that what happened is unacceptable.
“It never should have happened. I never thought I’d see the day that Georgia is on fire. When I used to work for the EPA, our job was to investigate tragedies like this. And now the air in Georgia is being destroyed,” Attorney L. Chris Stewart told Channel 2 Action News.
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Stewart’s law firm filed a class action lawsuit Monday in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
In the lawsuit, attorneys claim negligence led to the chemical fire that sent harmful fumes into the air. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes on Sunday.
“Companies like BioLab have a duty and obligation to make sure they do not pollute the surrounding community,” said Daniel Rock Flynn of the Dicello Levitt law firm.
Investigators say it appeared the building’s sprinkler system reacted with the chemical inside and that potentially sent toxic fumes into the sky.
Since the accident, many people in the area have reported respiratory issues and burning, itchy eyes.
“It was smoky when I came into Conyers,” said resident Ginger Peek, who added that she always keeps her mask on. “With the smoke out here, I don’t need that coming into my lungs.”
On Tuesday, a plume of smoke was still visible in the area.
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Channel 2′s Audrey Washington asked Stewart if the chemical emergency in Rockdale reminded him of the widespread water crisis in Flint, Michigan several years ago.
“Whether it’s lower-income Black, lower-income White, the neglected in our society are taken advantage of by large corporations all the time,” Stewart said.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to BioLab for a response to the class action lawsuit.
Our requests for comment were not returned Tuesday afternoon.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board sent a team to Washington, D.C. to investigate BioLab.
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