Shelter-in-place order lifted in Rockdale County

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — The shelter-in-place order was lifted on Thursday.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials made the announcement with other emergency agencies and county leaders present Thursday afternoon.

Noticeably absent was the BioLab company at the center of September’s chemical fire.

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“We extended an invitation to BioLab to be here today and frankly I think it’s a slap in the face,” Rockdale County chairman, Osborn Nesbitt, Sr. told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington.

“BioLab has held this community hostage for the last 19 days,” Nesbitt added.

The EPA and other emergency agencies said during the special meeting that they lifted the shelter-in-place order after a series of cleanings, investigations, and air quality tests.

“All the community air monitors were pointing to the shelter in place be lifted,” one EPA official said.

According to the Rockdale County fire chief, the massive chemical fire created a plume in the air.

She said that plume contained the chemical trichloroisocyanuric acid, or Triclor.

“Triclor was the main ingredient, about 4 million pounds of that. 787 gallons of water has been used to neutralize this product,” Rockdale County Fire Department Chief, Marian McDaniel said.

“I had burning in my chest, sinuses, and eyes. Coughing up yellow phlegm,” resident Andy Owens told Washington in October.

Owens said his doctor diagnosed him with chemical-exposure-related symptoms.

Health professionals with the Public Health Department said Georgia Poison Control is monitoring complaints.

“Poison Control has the majority of phoned-in questions and a log of this, what the symptoms are and where they came from and so we have that logged too,” a health department official said.

There is still no word on the future of the BioLab facility in Rockdale County, but the county chairman said for him, the latest incident was the last straw.

“Well, I share the sentiments of many of our citizens and business owners in Rockdale County, enough is enough,” Nesbitt said.

The EPA said OSHA will be the next agency to monitor conditions at the facility.

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