On Dec. 10, Georgia’s Rockdale County Board of Commissioners refused to speak with members of the public about the aftermath of the BioLab chemical fire.
During the board meeting, Rockdale County Attorney M. Qader A. Baig informed residents that, because of the current litigation, BioLab would not be a topic of discussion.
“Matters of active litigation are expressly forbidden,” Baig stated. Board Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr, seconded the county attorney’s proclamation.
“If you want to conversate about BioLab, then I’m going to ask you to remove yourself from the podium.” He continued, “The board acknowledges the impact that our community has suffered from the BioLab incident. However, we’re not going to discuss that.”
Community members understood that the county representatives would not comment but refused to be silenced, advocating for an opportunity to speak.
“Because of the seriousness of the situation, they should want to hear from the citizens,” Corlis Turner said.
This is not the first time since the incident that community members come together to speak about their frustrations and demand accountability from the county and BioLab.
On Dec. 4, a community forum was held for county residents. Multiple individuals spoke about their experiences and hardships following the chemical fire.
Porch’se Miller spoke about the medical toll the toxic chemicals have caused her body. After the initial fire, Miller received a medical evaluation. She claims that inhaling the plumes caused damage to her organs.
“They checked my blood pressure and diagnosed me with lung damage,” Miller recalled.
Miller questions the hesitation in revoking BioLab’s business license.
“Do you really care for our lives, or do you care about your money?” Miller asked.
A joint task force with the Environmental Protective Agency, Rockdale County, and BioLab have been working to address the community’s concerns. A command center on Main St. was established to allow residents to file claims with the company.
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