Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff and Rep. Johnson Push for Update on Company’s Investigation into BioLab Chemical

In a new letter to Michael Sload, CEO of KIK Consumer Products, the owner of the lab, the lawmakers requested an update on commitments made by BioLab

This effort follows two other letters the Senator sent in the wake of the BioLab fire

Senator Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: "You and your staff have publicly expressed a desire to "address the needs of impacted area residents and business owners" following that incident. It has been three months since the incident; we request specific information regarding your efforts to do so"

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) pressed for updates into the investigation of the September 29^th chemical fire at the BioLab-Conyers facility, which impacted families in Rockdale County and across Metro Atlanta.

The lawmakers launched an inquiry with KIK Consumer Products, which owns the BioLab plant, urging the company to strengthen transparency around any public health impacts of the fire and to extend the deadline for families to submit reimbursement claims to KIK until March 31, 2025.

According to a November report by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the BioLab incident resulted in 17,000 evacuations, closures on I-20, and local shelter-in-place notifications.

"You and your staff have publicly expressed a desire to "address the needs of impacted area residents and business owners" following that incident," the lawmakers wrote to KIK Consumer Products CEO Michael Sload. "It has been three months since the incident; we request specific information regarding your efforts to do so."

"Although we appreciate these initiatives, Rockdale County residents remain uncertain about your company's long-term commitment to their well-being, particularly in light of your decision to set a December 31 deadline for families to submit reimbursement claims," the lawmakers continued.

As part of the inquiry, Senators Warnock and Ossoff and Representative Johnson specifically pressed the company for additional information regarding steps they are taking to support families in Rockdale County who are still being affected by this incident.

This letter follows two other efforts to hold BioLab accountable for the September 29 fire and the residual impact on the local community. An October letter led by Senator Warnock and Congressman Johnson urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen federal oversight of facilities manufacturing or storing certain hazardous chemicals. The lawmakers pushed EPA Administrator Michael Regan to enhance federal oversight of facilities that manufacture and/or store Trichloroisocyanuric Acid (TCCA), which is at the heart of the incident at the BioLab plant in Conyers. That effort was followed by a letter at the end of October in which Senator Warnock and Congressman Johnson demanded answers to the company's repeated safety failures leading to the September fire.

The letter can be found HEREand the text of the letter is below:

Dear Mr. Sload,

We write regarding your company's response to the September 29 incident at the BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia that resulted in "multiple fires, extensive off-gassing, and a massive plume of potentially toxic smoke." You and your staff have publicly expressed a desire to "address the needs of impacted area residents and business owners" following that incident. It has been three months since the incident; we request specific information regarding your efforts to do so.

In a November 13 letter, you wrote that your company has "engaged contractors to remove debris from public areas and roads, and this work is now complete." Further, you stated that debris was tested for asbestos and that results confirmed that none was present. Families in Rockdale County are concerned about the long-term impacts of this incident on their physical health and personal property. Therefore, we urge you to make the results of the debris testing publicly available and work with relevant State and Federal agencies to assist the public in understanding those results.

At your BioLab-Conyers facility, chemical reactions have resulted in serious fires and off-gassing on three separate occasions in the last two decades. The September 29 incident resulted in 17,000 evacuations, multiple road closures including Interstate I-20, and nightly shelter-in-place notifications through October 16. In the same November 13 letter, you committed to reimbursing Rockdale County residents for "a variety of expenses stemming from the incident including lodging, food, childcare, pet care, and out-of-pocket medical expenses." However, you failed to address specific questions regarding the number of reimbursements that have been requested, denied, and approved. We request you provide us with data regarding the number of reimbursements that have been requested, denied, and approved so that we may properly assess the degree to which BioLab is honoring its commitments to community members.

On your community support website, you advertise a 24/7 call center, assistance from a dedicated community liaison, and the establishment of a Community Assistance Center to help affected families file claims. Your recent update on this initiative states that your company has "responded to more than 29,000 calls and 9,000 emails, as well as assisted 4,000 individuals through its Community Assistance Center." Although we appreciate these initiatives, Rockdale County residents remain uncertain about your company's long-term commitment to their well-being, particularly in light of your decision to set a December 31 deadline for families to submit reimbursement claims.

Therefore, we are requesting detailed responses to the following inquiries by January 17:

• Will you commit to publicly releasing the results of any debris testing you conducted, and work with relevant State and Federal agencies to assist the public in interpreting those results, to assuage the long-term health concerns expressed by local families?

• Please provide the following reimbursement request data:
  1. The total reimbursement requests your company received from local residents.
  2. The percentage of those requests have been approved.
  3. The number of requests currently pending.
  4. The average processing time for reimbursement requests.
  5. The total dollar amount of the reimbursement requests approved since September 29.

• Will you consider extending by 90 days the deadline for families to submit reimbursement claims to allow for submissions until March 31, 2025?

Sincerely,

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