ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Emergency crews have made progress in slowing down the smoke plume from the Biolab plant fire, according to County Chairman and CEO, Oz Nesbitt.
He emphasized the importance of handling the situation correctly, with safety as the top priority.
County Chairman and CEO, Oz Nesbitt said Biolab has enlisted an outside private incident management response team to assist with the fire.
The company has also hired PR firms to answer community questions.
During the daytime, there appears to be little smoke, but nighttime conditions are different, with shifting winds increasing smoke in the air.
Nesbitt noted that crews are working tirelessly to resolve the issue.
Nesbitt explained that the fire caused the plant’s roof to collapse on chemicals, sending debris onto them.
“In order to properly remove the product, the first thing you’ve got to do is remove the debris,” Nesbitt said. “When you remove the product, it’s subject to put off additional gases in the air. That can cause us to continue to see the plume that we’ve seen looming over Rockdale County and Conyers and moving toward westbound on I-20.”
He added that the PR firms will eventually open an office for community inquiries.
With only about seven hours of sleep since the fire started, Nesbitt expressed his dedication to resolving the issues as swiftly as possible.