Rockdale County officials sought to silence residents from talking about the BioLab fire during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s County Commission meeting, saying the topic was off limits because of the county’s litigation against the company.
The move may have violated the residents’ First Amendment rights, according to a spokesperson for the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.
On the advice of the county attorney, the commission’s outgoing chairman, Oz Nesbitt Sr. — who lost his reelection bid and is leaving office in a few weeks — told residents not to talk about the Sept. 29 fire that caused evacuations and health complications for residents from the chemical cloud that resulted. He later appeared to give up, and allowed some residents to discuss it.
BioLab fire: Rockdale residents express concerns about lasting health impacts
Many residents are demanding that commissioners revoke BioLab’s business license. Rockdale County has brought a federal lawsuit against BioLab and related companies, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act and negligence, among other claims. The lawsuit also seeks closure of the Biolab plant.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
The BioLab fire led to hospitalizations, and evacuations of about 17,000 people in the surrounding community due to the chemical plumes of smoke and toxic vapors…