As Chemical Plant Fire Burns, Atlanta Mayor Urges Precautions

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(TNS) — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens urged city residents to take precautions and limit outdoor activities until noon Thursday, saying a plume from a now-extinguished chemical plant fire in Rockdale County could drift west.

Swaths of metro Atlanta could wake up to hazy skies and a chlorine odor amid ongoing efforts to clean up and remove debris from Sunday’s fire at BioLab facility in Conyers .

Dickens, citing advice from health professionals, urged city residents to stay indoors and keep windows closed before noon Thursday and to call their medical provider if they experience concerning symptoms. Atlanta Public Schools plans to move all outdoor school-related activities indoors, though it will permit athletic events and after-school activities.

“Thursday morning, metro Atlanta residents may notice a haze and a chlorine smell due to the shifting of winds. This information is subject to change based on weather conditions,” said Dickens, in a video posted Wednesday evening.

A Sunday fire at the BioLab chemical plant in Conyers created the plume of chemical smoke, and agencies have been monitoring the air quality since then as crews try to neutralize the site. Rockdale County officials said that the plume is changing colors as workers remove debris.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency has advised anyone who notices a chlorine odor in the air to limit their time outdoors. Chlorine, however, has a low odor threshold, meaning people can smell it even at very low concentrations that do not cause harm, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency .

GEMA said that smoke that contains chlorine compounds can cause symptoms such as eye and airway irritation, coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest tightness and headaches.

People living nearby have been advised to shelter in place every evening through early morning until Friday.