ATLANTA — As a chemical plume continues to emanate from a site in Conyers on Monday, keeping that city under evacuation and surrounding Rockdale County under shelter-in-place guidance, surrounding cities and counties began reporting the smell of chlorine and the sight of haze in the air.
So far the City of Atlanta and authorities in multiple metro Atlanta counties have said they're conducting air tests in response to the effects of the plume.
Here's a look so far at how those local governments are responding:
Gwinnett County
With the northward drift of the plume, Gwinnett County perhaps more than any other neighboring area has seen much of the haze and chlorine smell.
The county said a little after 10 a.m. that they expected the smell to dissipate in a couple of hours after a "low-pressure system has pushed fog into the area, and a lack of wind is causing the smell to linger."
A later update from Gwinnett said Environmental Protection Agency "has not picked up anything of concern on its mobile monitors in Gwinnett County" and that previous readings in Rockdale "around the fire were not picking up toxic levels."
"The EPA is recommending anyone in the direct plume to stay inside, but they are not recommending a shelter in place order at this time. Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services' Hazardous Materials team has also been monitoring and has not detected anything hazardous," the county said.
Gwinnett County Schools canceled outdoor activities and cut outside air from coming into buildings, a statement on the district website says.
Here's the latest update on the county response from Gwinnett officials and the EPA:
City of Atlanta/Fulton County
The city said it was "working diligently to ensure the safety of those in and around Atlanta" and that personnel from both the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were performing air quality control checks.
"At this time, no warnings or advisories have been issued," the city said at 10:30 a.m. "We will continue to coordinate with EPA and EPD and all updates will be posted on our social channels and our website. If you have concerns stay inside, close windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems."
Atlanta-Fulton County EMA, meanwhile, said it was investigating the reports of a haze and strong chemical smell and said they were awaiting additional information from EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and EPD (Georgia Environmental Protection Division).
Mayor Andre Dickens later addressed the chlorine smell and haze observed this morning while giving remarks on school programs.
He said Atlanta Fire Rescue had found a "small faint amount of chlorine in the air" that was "not at exceeding levels... where humans can deal with it."
He did note it appears to have dissipated a bit - at least in the city of Atlanta - as the day has progressed.
DeKalb County
DeKalb County said it was also getting the reports of air quality concerns. A statement said there were no advisories at this time while DeKalb EMA and DeKalb County Fire Rescue are testing air quality.
"While DeKalb County is not directly affected by evacuation orders, we are monitoring the situation closely," a statement from the county read.
Meanwhile, they advised residents with respiratory conditions, sensitivity to aerosol contaminates, or other health sensitivities are advised to:
- Stay indoors if possible.
- Keep windows and doors closed and consider turning off ventilation systems that bring in outside air.
- Limit outdoor activities until air quality improves.
School Information:
- DeKalb County School District is in regular communication with DEMA.
- School administrators have the option to keep students indoors as a precaution.
- The DeKalb County School District also said after noon it was canceling outdoor after-school activities and athletics today.
Stay Informed:
- Follow updates from official sources such as DeKalb County Government and DEMA.
- Report any air quality concerns to 311
"While we're not facing an immediate emergency in DeKalb County, staying vigilant and prepared is important," DeKalb officials said. "Your safety is my top priority, and I'll continue to provide updates as the situation develops."
Fayette County
The school system said it was restricting outdoor activities during the school day "until we receive word from Fayette County Emergency Management Services that the fumes have cleared." It was not canceling afternoon activities and said they would reevaluate in the afternoon.