A chemical plant in Conyers, Georgia, quickly turned into an inferno Sunday morning, darkening the sky above the city of about 17,000 with chemical-laden plumes and prompting residents to evacuate.
Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency
announced As of Monday morning, the county remains closed and continues to advise residents to shelter in place, turn off air conditioners and close windows and doors.
According to an investigation conducted by the Environmental Protection Division and the Environmental Protection Agency, chlorine was detected in the air emitted from the accident site by BioLab, a company believed to be a manufacturer of pool treatment products.
It was not immediately clear whether other potentially dangerous chemicals were splashed over Conyers, about 40 miles east of Atlanta.
“I felt like it was burning, I was coughing and I felt like I wanted to throw up,” said Ruby Nowers, one of the evacuees.
said NBC News.
Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel
shown The fire broke out on the roof of a chemical factory around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. The initial roof fire apparently activated the sprinkler system, which resulted in an explosion of water-reactive chemicals within the plant.
This fire was apparently “extinguished,” but another fire broke out around noon while product was being unloaded from the building.
atlanta journal constitution
reported A huge plume of smoke could be seen about 30 miles away at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
authorities hurry
begged Local residents have been asked to “cancel all church services for the day” and avoid affected areas of the town.
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office initially
advised the locals “Stay indoors and keep windows closed to minimize exposure to potential hazards,” the RCSO said. announced Residents will be evacuated from the affected area later that day.
Chief McDaniel said in an update that the fire was eventually extinguished around 4 p.m., but a large plume of smoke from the chemical reaction could remain visible for several days. The roof and walls of the warehouse then collapsed.
This isn't the first time a biolab facility in Conyers has made life difficult for local residents.
Additionally, McDaniel said that in the past seven years that she has been with the fire department, this is the third time an accident of “this magnitude” has occurred at the plant, the Journal-Constitution reported. Reported.
“Asphyxiation is a characteristic early symptom in patients/victims exposed to chlorine.”
On September 14, 2020, a “thermal decomposition event” involving a product containing chlorine occurred.
According to No injuries were reported to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, but smoke from the incident led to the closure of Interstate 20.
A similar fire fueled by 250,000 pounds of dry chlorine pellets at a BioLab warehouse in May 2004 once again darkened Conyers with a cloud of chemicals.
UPI
reported At the time, 40 people were treated at local hospitals for respiratory illnesses and 30 firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion. BioLab's parent company agreed Years later, a settlement was reached for residents and businesses affected by the incident.
A CSB report on an incident that occurred at BioLab's Westlake, Louisiana location on August 27, 2020 lays out what appears to be at issue. Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) is used as a disinfectant to kill algae and bacteria in large bodies of water and is stored in these warehouses. The report explains:
If TCCA-based formulations come into contact with small amounts of water or become wet or wet with small amounts of water and do not dissolve, a chemical reaction may occur, generating heat and causing chemical decomposition. there is. Toxic chlorine gas is produced and potentially explosive nitrogen trichloride is produced.
Chlorine gas was used
chemical weapons Many people were killed during World War I.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
shown Low concentrations of chlorine gas can cause eye and nose irritation, sore throats, and coughs. At high exposure levels, the gases emitted by BioLab can cause “inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema).”[ing] I felt like I was suffocating. ”
“Asphyxiation is a characteristic early symptom in patients/victims exposed to chlorine. The majority of deaths occur within 24 hours and are due to respiratory failure,” the CDC noted.
BioLab's parent company, KIK Consumer Products;
said In a statement Sunday, the company said: “We are actively responding to the incident at our facility in Conyers, Georgia. Our employees have recovered safely with no reported injuries. “Teams are on scene and working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the incident.” As always, the safety of our community is our top priority. ”
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