As Rockdale County Public Schools shift to virtual learning next week due to concerns over the plume of chemical smoke in the region, officials warn that the winds will continue to shift west toward Atlanta over the weekend.
Swaths of metro Atlanta were told Thursday they could see hazy skies and smell a chlorine odor after a now-extinguished Sunday fire at the BioLab plant. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, citing advice from medical professionals, advised residents to stay indoors until noon if the plume moved overhead and call their medical provider if they experienced concerning symptoms.
But as of 2 p.m., the city had not received any 911 calls related to the plume’s movement, a spokesman for the mayor’s office said. City officials have not reported any issues involving the plume, but winds are expected to continue to shift west through Sunday.
“Because the winds are relatively light (less than 10 mph during the day and less than 5 mph at night), fluctuations in the direction are possible, especially near the ground. But generally, the winds will move from east to west,” the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency stated.
With students set to return from fall break, the Rockdale school district said it was exercising caution from the dangers of the plume, which can lead to breathing problems. Classes will be held virtually Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We have not been given a timeline for the completion of the cleanup, but we hope that we are able to resume normal operations later next week,” the district said. “As officials have stated, the air quality is unlikely to cause harm to most people; however, there are some people who may be affected by the chemical plume if they are in its direct path. Due to changing wind directions and other weather conditions, it is difficult to predict exactly where the plume will travel and for how long.”
There have been hundreds of poison control calls from concerned citizens over the past several days.
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday, Georgia Department of Public Health epidemiologist Cherie Drenzek said a surveillance system that allows state health officials to look at electronic health information suggests “a few hundred” patients have gone to emergency rooms and clinics complaining of symptoms associated with an exposure to the BioLab smoke. The system doesn’t look for diagnoses, but rather chief complaints, such as eye irritation, throat irritation and coughing.
“What we are seeing so far is really kind of mild effects,” Drenzek said. “Very, very few people have had to be admitted (to a hospital) or have had any severe outcomes.”
A spokesperson for Piedmont Rockdale’s Emergency Department said they’ve seen a number of patients be treated after reporting having itchy eyes, scratchy throats and a cough. At Conyers Pediatrics, located a few miles from the plant, Dr. Hugo Scornik said he saw children all week with symptoms related to gas exposure, including several Thursday morning.
Atlanta Public Schools said it would move all outdoor school-related activities indoors Thursday, though it will permit athletic events and afterschool activities. Clayton County Schools suspended all outdoor activities Thursday, though not its athletic events, which will take place as scheduled. Officials said wind patterns were monitored by the city throughout the day.
Crews used excavators Thursday to clean up the Conyers site, where workers dressed in hard hats and bright vests navigated the destroyed plant. County fire vehicles appeared to have left the scene, and several large tankers were stationed nearby on Old Covington Highway. The haze appeared more prevalent compared to Wednesday morning. Rockdale officials said it changed colors at one point as debris was being removed at the facility.
Agencies have been monitoring the air quality since Sunday’s fire created a plume of chemical smoke.
Anyone who notices a chlorine odor in the air should limit their time outdoors, GEMA stated. Chlorine, however, has a low odor threshold, meaning people can smell it even at very low concentrations that do not cause harm, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
GEMA said smoke that contains chlorine compounds can cause symptoms such as eye and airway irritation, coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest tightness and headaches.
People living nearby have been advised to shelter in place every evening through early morning until Friday. Officials have not provided an update on those directives.
Researchers at the Rollins School of Public Health with Emory University said they’re concerned about the long-term impacts on health and environment due to the fire.
In a statement Wednesday night, BioLab said it was focused on remediation. The company has long enjoyed a close relationship with Rockdale County leaders.
“We have continued to make progress in mitigating the situation at our facility, and we deeply regret the impact of the incident on our community,” the statement said. “Our executive leadership team is on the ground and engaging directly with local representatives and stakeholders on how we can best provide support; we will make further updates in this regard.”
— Staff writers Taylor Croft and Rosana Hughes contributed to this article.
