‘Treat it more seriously:’ Rockdale County man says BioLab fire made him sick

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors who live near the BioLab chemical fire in Rockdale County are now saying it’s making them sick.

Conyers resident Andy Owens told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington that he had to go to the hospital after he fell ill.

Owens lives and works near the BioLab facility in Rockdale County.

On Wednesday, he read a portion of the doctor’s report he received to Washington.

“Today’s diagnosis, exposure to a biological agent,” the report read. “Acute sinusitis, unspecified and other unspecified bacterial agents as cause of disease.”

He said just a few days after the fire that sent potentially toxic chemicals into the air, he felt sick.

“I had burning in my chest, sinuses, and eyes; coughing up yellow phlegm,” Owens explained.

Owens said he initially stayed inside, but when officials lifted the shelter-in-place order, he returned to work.

“I was there for about two hours and then I had to leave because I couldn’t stop coughing, it was just getting worse,” Owens said.

“There may be other chemicals in this cloud as well. We only know about the Chlorine,” Cardiologist Dr. Jayne Morgan said.

Dr. Morgan has not treated Owens but said prolonged exposure to the chemicals in the fire, particularly chlorine, could cause health complications.

“Chest pain or chest tightness, a little difficulty breathing and even a mild build-up in the lungs,” Dr. Morgan explained.

Washington asked health workers with the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments if they plan to develop and monitor a database of people who became sick from exposure.

“The health department is continuing to work with community healthcare providers to collect illness information from people who live or work in affected areas. Our agency receives de-identified information about symptomatic individuals who call Georgia Poison Control as well. The health department does not have a registry,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Owens said he expects more people to develop symptoms as the air quality remains compromised.

“We don’t know the long-term effects of it. So right now, my main concern is getting better and getting back to work,” Owens said.

The health department encourages people who are experiencing symptoms of exposure, such as nose, throat, or eye irritation or difficulty breathing, to call their healthcare provider or the Georgia Poison Center at 404-856-6252 to get guidance. People having a medical emergency, need to dial 911.