BioLab Fire: Parents say chemical fire has taken toll on students

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Conyers Middle School is among nearly 20 public schools that have decided to close part of next week and move to virtual learning due to concerns over potential exposure to emissions from a nearby chlorine plant.

Iyiana Clemons, a 13-year-old student, described her experience with the emissions.

“I could kinda smell chlorine and I felt (like) my throat is caught up and I have to cough a lot,” she said.

The fire at the BioLab chemical plant and the subsequent emissions have created a challenging environment for Iyiana and her family.

Her father, Eric Clemons, told Channel 2′s Tom Regan that its impact had on them.

“We are very affected cause (there was) a whole cloud was right there,” Eric Clemons said.

He explained that the ongoing environmental crisis has taken an especially hard toll on his family, noting that they had to make adjustments due to health concerns.

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“I have kids with underlying conditions, so my family had to split up. My son couldn’t even be here because he has epilepsy,” Eric Clemons said.

The school’s superintendent has announced that, given the uncertainty surrounding the chemical plant, the decision was made to close schools and transition to remote teaching and learning from Monday to at least Wednesday to ensure the safety of staff and students.

“It’s probably safer to be at home, but if you want to really learn, you should probably be at school,” Iyiana said.

Eric Clemons acknowledged the challenges that come with juggling work and caring for his children during this time.

“It’s a major inconvenience. Big inconvenience,” he said.

School officials hope to resume in-person classes later next week, depending on when workers can manage the emissions from the chemical plant.

BioLab Fire: Some businesses remain closed because of chlorine plume, calling it ‘ground zero.’ The environmental crisis is disrupting local commerce and has halted operations for several business owners.

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