BioLab Fire: Nightly shelter-in-place order expiring in Rockdale County
After more than a week of nightly shelter-in-place orders in Rockdale County, the county's order is expiring Monday morning.
Since a fire at the BioLab facility last week sent a chemical plume in the air, the Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency has been telling all residents to stay in their homes from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
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The order was extended late last week until Monday morning at 7 a.m.
County offices, including the court and other government facilities, that were closed all week are expected to reopen to the public on Monday morning.
Officials said that chlorines, chloramine and chlorine compounds were released into the air from the fire that destroyed the factory early Sunday morning.
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Dr. Lynn Paxton, interim health director for the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale health district, said those chemicals can cause irritation of the skin and the mucus membranes, including the eyes and nasal passages and the respiratory system.
It's still unclear how long the haze from the chemical plume will be visible across metro Atlanta.
