Not replacing corroded sprinklers to blame for massive 2024 BioLab fire, final report finds

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The massive chemical fire at the BioLab facility in Conyers could have been prevented if the plant had stopped sprinkler system leaks, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) said in the final report on the fire.

The fire happened in September 2024 when water leaked from a corroded sprinkler onto highly reactive pool treatment chemicals in the plant’s warehouse, resulting in a toxic plume that drifted over metro Atlanta.

“Had Bio-Lab Conyers taken steps to proactively prevent sprinkler system leaks instead of allowing the system to run to failure, the incident likely would not have occurred,” the board said in its report, which was released Tuesday.

CSB’s investigation found that parts of the plant’s sprinkler system had been experiencing “significant” corrosion and had been leaking when the plant began storing the materials in the warehouse in 2019. In a December 2023 inspection, more than 1,000 sprinkler heads in the warehouse were found to be corroded, according to CSB.

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Soon after the fire, the board found that the chemical reaction that created the hazardous plume generated heat, which led to “decomposition and the release of toxic vapors.”

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT

Rockdale County officials previously said a sprinkler malfunctioned and sprayed water onto the chemical, causing the reaction that created the plume.

In a statement, BioLab said it cooperated with the investigation and is reviewing the final report.

“We will carefully consider its recommendations as part of our ongoing commitment to safety and continuous improvement. The health and safety of the communities where we operate is a top priority, and we worked collaboratively with first responders and relevant authorities to complete the emergency response in October 2024,” the company continued, adding that it also cleaned up the site.

The fire happened in late September 2024. The large chemical plume drifted across parts of metro Atlanta, triggering public safety actions and a prolonged cleanup.

RELATED: BioLab closing Rockdale County plant after fallout from 2024 chemical fire

“The conditions and circumstances at the Bio-Lab Conyers warehouse were completely unacceptable,” said Steve Owens, CSB chairperson. “There were nearly 14 million pounds of reactive chemicals stored in the warehouse without proper safeguards in place. These hazardous chemicals were packaged in roughly 5,000 giant sacks, each weighing more than a ton, and some of them were stacked in such a way in the warehouse that responders were not able to keep the initial situation from developing into a catastrophic fire and massive plume of toxic smoke that put thousands of people potentially at risk.”

When the fire happened, roughly 17,000 people near the facility had to be evacuated, and tens of thousands of others were ordered to shelter in place for several days.

Atlanta News First met with Stephen Klejst, CSB’s executive director of investigations and recommendations, for an interview on Tuesday evening.

“The 27 findings that we reached, I think, is very telling in this report,” Klejst said during the interview.

Klejst adds that the BioLab facility had opportunities to address sprinkler maintenance issues before the 2024 emergency, as inspections in 2021 and 2022 identified deficiencies.

The CSB also found broader storage and facility issues beyond the sprinkler system. According to the report, more than double the amount of reactive chemicals was stored in the warehouse than was reported to local authorities. The CSB said the outer bags holding the chemicals were not waterproof and that the building was poorly ventilated.

Klejst said the CSB believes the incident could have been prevented.

“If the amounts of material that were stored were appropriate and the fire suppression system, in this case the sprinkler heads, were properly maintained, we most likely would have never had the event that we experienced at BioLab,” he said. “It really is the company’s obligation to properly assess the risks with their operation and take the necessary steps to reduce or eliminate those risks.”

The CSB investigates chemical incidents and issues safety recommendations.

The agency said recommendations stemming from the Conyers investigation have been sent to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and KIK Consumer Products Company, which operated the Conyers Bio-Lab facility.

Some residents said recommendations do not go far enough.

“I was diagnosed with chemically-induced bronchitis. I was on an inhaler. I had to sleep sitting up for over a week because laying down, I literally couldn’t breathe,” said Madelyne Reece, a Conyers resident who lives less than five miles from the BioLab facility. Now, Reece is a member of the Shut Down BioLab Coalition.

Reece said the smoke and haze were overwhelming during the emergency.

“You couldn’t see 3 feet in front of me in my own yard,” she said.

Reece said the community is still dealing with the fallout nearly two years later.

“Some people chose to leave. A lot of us feel stuck here,” she said.

She said she wants accountability beyond recommendations.

“The only way that these kind of things are changed is if there are real, lasting repercussions for it,” Reece said. “So, a list of recommendations is great. What is the government going to do with that? Is (it) what we really want to see? And that’s what we’ve been waiting on for two years.”