ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Community members are continuing to work to get BioLab shut down in Rockdale County after an explosion and subsequent chemical plume forced thousands to evacuate.
One new effort is a change.org petition that was started this past Thursday in an effort to get the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners to revoke BioLab's business license.
Following the plume, the county commission announced its intent to file a federal lawsuit against BioLab and its parent company, KIK Consumer Products. It is seeking an injunction to shut down BioLab and seeks damages for residents and businesses affected by the Sept. 29 fire.
However, the new petition argues that the county commission has the power to shut down BioLab by revoking its business license and that the county's laws require it to do so.
11Alive reached out to a spokesperson for Rockdale County and for BioLab about the petition, and we are awaiting a response as of Sunday night.
The ordinance the petition cites states that if a person doing business under a county license violates any law or ordinance in pursuance of the company and involving its operation or if it can be proven that "the health, morals, interest, and convenience of the public demand the revocation of that license, the board of commissioners shall suspend or revoke that license."
Residents and business owners say they are still recovering from the impact of the fire and chemical plume. For example, Maria Garcia who owns La Moreliana Taqueria in Conyers. The lab is minutes away, and she said she lost around $20,000.
"We had to close for seven days. We [lost] a lot of money," Garcia said.
Conyers resident Dustin Robinson lives close to the lab. He said he lost wages.
"Every day, you had to come in at seven o'clock. And I was out of work for about a week. So, it kind of sucked," Robinson said.
Garcia said that since she has a small business, it's more difficult for her to bounce back. She's looking for compensation.
"And our employees had to stop working," Garcia said. "And everybody struggled."
Conyers resident Michael Brown recalled what it was like when roads were shut down for days.
"I was caught at home with no transportation to leave," Brown said.
Brown wanted to give BioLab representatives a piece of his mind.
"Look at the hassle that they have caused," Brown said about the history of fires from the facility. "Three incidents of them burning? Come on!"
When asked, Garcia said she disagreed with the petition.
"Not really. We just want us to be recovered," Garcia said.
Robinson said he would rather see BioLab moved elsewhere; if not, he said shut it down.
"So, I don't know the...about revoking the whole business license, but I definitely -- if this is going to be a repetitive thing --because I've heard, like we was talking, it's been like the fourth time," Robinson said. "So, I'd say it definitely needs to be moved away from residential areas."
Brown struggled to hold his peace when discussing the whole ordeal.
"If they don't shut it down...I can't say what I'm thinking," Brown said. "That will be my full comment right there."
11Alive has previously reported that BioLab said its distribution center was cleared by relevant authorities and regulators to reopen on Nov. 4. It was allowed to resume fulfilling customer orders for finished products, which are used to clean pools and spas. It stated it had not resumed manufacturing operations.
BioLab said it "recognizes the importance of understanding the causes of the incident and is conducting a thorough review, cooperating closely with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), as it performs its own review, as well as other state and federal environmental, health and safety agencies."
The petition to have the county commission revoke BioLab's business license has over 240 signatures. To view it, click here. Supporters of the petition also told 11Alive they're planning a news conference on Dec. 3 to call for legislative change and to share research on the impacts of chemical exposure.