Georgia U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, along with several other members of the Georgia Congressional delegation, has called for stronger federal oversight of facilities that handle hazardous chemicals like Trichloroisocyanuric Acid TCCA.
This request comes in response to the devastating fire at the BioLab facility in Rockdale County, which produces pool and spa cleaning products.
When firefighters used water to extinguish the blaze, a chemical reaction occurred, releasing toxic plumes of chlorine, chloramine, and chlorine compounds into the air, impacting the metro Atlanta area for days.
The fire has raised significant environmental and health concerns, with local residents, including a Rockdale County mother, attributing new breathing problems in children to the chemical exposure.
Additionally, businesses like a Conyers car dealership have filed lawsuits against BioLab, claiming the fire negatively impacted their operations.
In their letter to the EPA, Johnson, along with U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock, and Reps. David Scott, Lucy McBath, and Nikema Williams, emphasized the ongoing dangers from the smoldering ruins of the plant and urged the EPA to add Trichloroisocyanuric Acid to the list of regulated substances under the Risk Management Program RMP.
This inclusion would allow federal and state agencies to enforce stricter safety standards at facilities that handle such chemicals, potentially preventing similar incidents in the future.
The lawmakers concluded by urging prompt action from the EPA to address the environmental and safety risks posed by hazardous chemicals and industrial accidents like the BioLab fire.