{"id":108657,"date":"2024-09-30T09:09:46","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T02:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108657"},"modified":"2024-09-30T09:09:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T02:09:46","slug":"metro-atlanta-chemical-plant-fire-leads-to-evacuation-of-17000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108657","title":{"rendered":"Metro Atlanta chemical plant fire leads to evacuation of 17,000"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-start-index=\"5\">\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"7\">A fire on the roof caused the sprinkler system to mix with a water-reactive chemical at the plant, Rockdale County fire Chief Marian McDaniel said during a press conference late Sunday. She previously said that a sprinkler head malfunctioned. It\u2019s unclear what started the fire, which was placed under control around 4 p.m. The roof and walls of the plant have since collapsed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"8\">A shelter-in-place order was issued for all of Rockdale County until midnight. Officials said residents will likely see the plume of smoke \u2014 now a chemical reaction and not a fire \u2014 for several days. About 17,000 people live in Conyers, located roughly 25 miles east of Atlanta.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"10\">On Sunday morning, McDaniel said crews had been working on taking the material away from the water source at the facility and that the fire was contained to the roof. But the fire reignited around noon as crews were removing the material. There were employees inside the plant but no injuries have been reported at this time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"12\">\u201cNow we are just trying to mitigate the debris so we can offload the product,\u201d the chief said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-image-component  b-margin-bottom-d40-m20  image-landscape\" data-index=\"13\">\n<div class=\"image-component-image inline \">\n<div class=\"enlargeImage-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\"><picture class=\"\" style=\"display:none\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/resizer\/WN80bUNgNOY3KrgcU7we0un4Jng=\/1022x0\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/ajc\/WHI64E5URPZWZ2KXVDKPDP7UXQ.JPG\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\"\/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/resizer\/WN80bUNgNOY3KrgcU7we0un4Jng=\/1022x0\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/ajc\/WHI64E5URPZWZ2KXVDKPDP7UXQ.JPG\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/resizer\/RUA4dYfXdhc-bWDX4LpC5V5JxCY=\/800x0\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/ajc\/WHI64E5URPZWZ2KXVDKPDP7UXQ.JPG\" alt=\"A fire broke out and later reignited at the Biolab facility in Conyers on Sunday. Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" width=\"800\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p class=\"photo-credit-text\">Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/news\/atlanta-news\/metro-atlanta-chemical-plant-fire-leads-to-evacuation-of-17000\/NLTZ6RLMIZCERF76B7FHUQFRYE\/[object Object]\" class=\"image-expand\" alt=\"icon to expand image\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"photo-credit-text\">Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"14\">Standing in front of the large plume of smoke that turned orange at one point, Rockdale sheriff Eric Levett on Sunday afternoon \u201cstrongly asked\u201d residents to stay away from the area, which included I-20 in both directions between Salem Road and Turner Hill Road. That stretch of the interstate and all of its exits in Rockdale County are closed, the Newton County Sheriff\u2019s Office said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"15\">Officials created an evacuation zone for a large portion of Conyers due to the fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"19\">\u201cThe interstate as you can see is backed up. We are working with the Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Department of Public Safety to assist with traffic control,\u201d the sheriff said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"21\">There was more traffic than usual in Conyers on Sunday as drivers tried to navigate the closed roads and section of the interstate. A Kroger store on Hwy 138 was shuttered, while a QuikTrip on Klondike Road was pay at the pump only. The lights from police cruisers were visible throughout the area, many of which came from neighboring jurisdictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"22\">Over her seven years with the fire department, McDaniel said it was the third such incident of \u201cthis magnitude,\u201d at the plant. The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) said it issued a shelter in place order on behalf of Rockdale\u2019s emergency management agency, but no timetable has been provided as to when the area will be safe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"23\">In September 2020, a \u201cTCCA reaction and decomposition\u201d caused another plume of hazardous chemicals to be released into the air at the Conyers plant, exposing facility personnel and nine firefighters to \u201cdangerous fumes,\u201d according to a U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board report. Surrounding businesses were evacuated and a section of I-20 was closed for about six hours. The report stated another decomposition involving TCCA happened four days later at the plant, but no one was injured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"25\">\u201cTCCA is used throughout the country in pool care and, when put in large bodies of water such as a pool, breaks down slowly, releasing chlorine in the water,\u201d the report added. \u201cHowever, when TCCA comes into contact with small amounts of water and does not dissolve, it can undergo a chemical reaction that generates heat, causing the decomposition of TCCA, which produces toxic chlorine gas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"26\">While it\u2019s unclear what chemical was involved with the fire on Sunday, officials said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be sampling the plume to determine its contents. Before the severity of the chemical is determined, evacuation sites are being held at Lucious Sanders Recreation Center, 2484 Bruce Street in Lithonia, Bert Adams Boy Scout Camp at 218 Scout Road in Covington, and Wolverine Gym, 8134 Geiger Street. in Newton County. A previous site was listed at 90 Hardin Street in Conyers, but it is now in the evacuation zone, officials said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"27\">A dispatcher with the Rockdale fire department confirmed that Rockdale Piedmont Hospital was evacuating some of its patients.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"28\">On Monday, all Newton County Schools will be closed out of an abundance of caution, officials said. The Rockdale County District Attorney\u2019s Office said its offices and the county courthouse would also not be open Monday due to the fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"29\">\u201cWe ask for your prayers for the safety of the residents of Rockdale and the first responders committed to protecting our community,\u201d the DA\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"31\">As of Sunday morning, there was not a plan in place for residents unable to return to their homes by the evening. County officials will let the public know on its social media channels when the EPA determines the threat level to the community. A shift in the plume and report from the EPA will likely influence how long the area would be impacted.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-image-component  b-margin-bottom-d40-m20  image-landscape\" data-index=\"32\">\n<div class=\"image-component-image inline \">\n<div class=\"enlargeImage-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\"><picture class=\"\" style=\"display:none\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/resizer\/RgJzxrRGaGGFOHunMXTg6oGjSQ4=\/1022x0\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/ajc\/H5FXKL37UUSPM4QC2H4CQM7LB4.JPG\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\"\/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/resizer\/RgJzxrRGaGGFOHunMXTg6oGjSQ4=\/1022x0\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/ajc\/H5FXKL37UUSPM4QC2H4CQM7LB4.JPG\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/resizer\/UQO8UydoSDjEydN3qQJqMscTTi4=\/800x0\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/ajc\/H5FXKL37UUSPM4QC2H4CQM7LB4.JPG\" alt=\"Smoke billows from a fire at the Biolab facility in Conyers on Sunday. Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" width=\"800\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p class=\"photo-credit-text\">Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/news\/atlanta-news\/metro-atlanta-chemical-plant-fire-leads-to-evacuation-of-17000\/NLTZ6RLMIZCERF76B7FHUQFRYE\/[object Object]\" class=\"image-expand\" alt=\"icon to expand image\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"photo-credit-text\">Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"33\">\u201cWe have about 60 folks over at the scene working through this, so it\u2019s going to be a long process,\u201d McDaniel said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"34\">According to its website, BioLab \u201cis the swimming pool and spa water care division of KIK Consumer Product.\u201d That company is based in Lawrenceville.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"35\">The site goes on to say that their brands are \u201cindustry leaders\u201d that \u201cpioneered computerized water testing and the 3-step system for pool and spa care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"37\">\u201cWe are actively responding to an occurrence at our facility in Conyers, Georgia,\u201d a BioLab representative said in a statement. \u201cOur employees are accounted for with no injuries reported. Our team is on the scene, working with first responders and local authorities to assess and contain the situation. As always, the safety of our community remains our top priority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"38\">The fire led to the cancellation of church services from Rockbridge to the Northside County line. Officials said local hospitals will be putting out a PSA about steps to take for those affected by the incident.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"39\">The road closures include:<\/p>\n<div class=\"list b-margin-bottom-d40-m20\">\n<ul>\n<li>Old Covington Highway at 2nd Avenue<\/li>\n<li>Sigman Road at Rockbridge Road<\/li>\n<li>Sigman Road at General Arts Road<\/li>\n<li>Blacklawn Road at Veterans Drive<\/li>\n<li>Plunkett Road at Lester Road<\/li>\n<li>Rockdale Industrial Boulevard at Lester Road<\/li>\n<li>Lester Road, east of Farmer Road<\/li>\n<li>General Arts Road at Farmer Road<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"story-text \" data-index=\"41\">\u2014 Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/news\/atlanta-news\/metro-atlanta-chemical-plant-fire-leads-to-evacuation-of-17000\/NLTZ6RLMIZCERF76B7FHUQFRYE\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A fire on the roof caused the sprinkler system to mix with a water-reactive chemical at the plant, Rockdale County fire Chief Marian McDaniel said during a press conference late &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=108657\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=108657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108657\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=108657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=108657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=108657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}