U.S. lawmakers from Georgia are again pressing for answers on the BioLab chemical fire that broke out in Conyers late last year.
U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock and Rep. Hank Johnson, all Georgia Democrats, urged KIK Consumer Products – the owner of the BioLab-Conyers facility – to provide updates and increased transparency regarding the ongoing impact of the September 29 chemical fire that affected families in Rockdale County and surrounding areas of Metro Atlanta.
The fire, which led to widespread evacuations, road closures and shelter-in-place orders, has left local residents with lingering concerns about potential public health risks and property damage.
In response, Ossoff, Warnock and Johnson have launched an inquiry into KIK’s efforts to address the needs of the community and ensure that residents receive appropriate assistance.
In a letter to KIK Consumer Products CEO Michael Sload, the lawmakers emphasized the need for greater transparency regarding the fire’s aftermath and urged the company to extend the deadline for residents to submit reimbursement claims. They also requested specific details on how KIK plans to support impacted families, particularly those in Rockdale County who continue to deal with the physical and emotional effects of the disaster.
A November report from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board revealed that the BioLab fire resulted in 17,000 evacuations, significant traffic disruptions and public health alerts across the region.
Despite these disruptions, the three lawmakers noted that three months had passed without sufficient public information regarding KIK’s efforts to support affected residents.
“You and your staff have publicly expressed a desire to ‘address the needs of impacted area residents and business owners’ following that incident,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “It has been three months since the incident; we request specific information regarding your efforts to do so.”
The inquiry specifically presses KIK for additional details on their actions to mitigate the impact on Rockdale County families and their long-term health concerns.
“Families in Rockdale County are concerned about the long-term impacts of this incident on their physical health and personal property,” the lawmakers noted. “We urge you to make the results of the debris testing publicly available and work with relevant state and federal agencies to assist the public in understanding those results.”
The lawmakers also expressed concern over KIK’s commitment to reimburse local residents for expenses incurred as a result of the fire. In their letter, they reminded the company of its pledge to cover lodging, food, childcare, pet care, and out-of-pocket medical costs. However, they pointed out that KIK had not yet provided specific data on the number of reimbursement claims requested, denied, or approved.
“You committed to reimbursing Rockdale County residents for ‘a variety of expenses stemming from the incident,’” the letter continued. “However, you have failed to address specific questions regarding the number of reimbursements that have been requested, denied, and approved. We request that you provide us with this data so that we may properly assess the degree to which BioLab is honoring its commitments to community members.”
Daniel Hoadley, a spokesperson for the company, issued a statement on Monday.
“We have received and are reviewing the latest letter from Senators Ossoff and Warnock and Rep. Johnson, and we look forward to continuing our constructive engagement,” he said. “BioLab remains focused on the completion of clean-up efforts at the site, and has continued to advance a variety of community support initiatives to assist impacted area residents and business owners. This included standing up dedicated community resources, including a call center, an in-person community assistance center, and website – through which it has regularly provided updates and facilitated a claims intake process. During the claims intake period, which concluded at year-end following a steady decrease in the volume of incoming new claims through BioLab’s community resources, the company responded to tens of thousands of calls and emails, as well as assisted thousands of individuals at its in-person center, helping with claims, reimbursement requests, and more. BioLab will continue its community engagement and looks forward to continuing to work constructively with the relevant authorities, regulators, and elected officials.”
