Georgia Today: Lasting impact of BioLab fire; Harris rally in DeKalb; Last day for absentee ballots

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Friday, Oct. 25. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, Rockdale County residents deal with the lingering impact of the BioLab fire. Vice President Kamala Harris rallies in DeKalb County with the help of some high-profile supporters. And today is the last day for Georgians to request an absentee ballot. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Vice President Kamala Harris drew what her campaign said was the largest crowd of her presidential race so far, 23,000 people, at a rally in metro Atlanta's DeKalb County last night. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports, she was joined by high-profile supporters, including former President Barack Obama.

Bruce Springsteen (singing): And I believe, in the Promised Land.

Sarah Kallis: A star studded lineup, including Tyler Perry, Spike Lee and a performance by Bruce Springsteen warmed up the crowd ahead of Harris and Obama. Obama slammed former President Trump's record on health care, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy, and praised Harris.

Barack Obama: If you elect Kamala Harris, she will not be focused on her problems, her ego, her money. She's going to be focused on you.

Sarah Kallis: Harris took to the stage after Obama. She praised Georgia's young leaders and encouraged the crowd to vote.

Kamala Harris: Democracy is not a state. It is an act. So, Georgia, now is our time to act.

Sarah Kallis: Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Gwinnett County on Tuesday. Sen. JD Vance is expected to make a stop in Atlanta over the weekend. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Clarkston.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Trump and Harris campaign surrogates will crisscross Georgia over the weekend, which is the last weekend of early voting in Georgia. Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has an Atlanta rally tomorrow and Gov. Brian Kemp will rally voters for Trump in Cumming. north of Atlanta, on Saturday. Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff will campaign for Harris in Albany, Valdosta and Brunswick tonight and tomorrow.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Today is the last day Georgia voters can request absentee ballots for the presidential election. Registered voters may apply for an absentee ballot until 11 days before an election day. Completed and signed absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. That's Nov. 5.

Caption

Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated and others told to shelter in place after a fire at a chemical plant Sept. 29, 2024.

Credit: Rockdale County via X

Story 4:

Peter Biello: Residents of metro Atlanta's Rockdale County are still feeling the impact of the fire at the BioLab chemical plant. County commissioners there have filed a federal lawsuit against the company and its parent, KIK Consumer Brands, seeking damages for impacted residents and businesses. GPB's Pamela Kirkland reports on a community grappling with what happens next.

Protesters: Shut down BioLab! Shut down BioLab!

Pamela Kirkland: It's Saturday and downtown Conyers is busy with a fall festival and a protest.

Protester: We're out here gathering, discussing the idea of shutting down an entity that is killing us.

Pamela Kirkland: It was just a few days ago that the smell of chlorine still hung in the air. It's October, but outside it's still 80 degrees and county officials have been advising residents to avoid running their air conditioning to keep fumes out of the house.

Jane Sadler: Because when we turned the air on, my husband got sick. So we sit in the house, what? Over two weeks with no air. Still no air.

Pamela Kirkland: Jane Sadler has lived here for more than 50 years. She and her husband live just minutes from Biolab, a chemical company that produces products for pools and spas. On Sept. 29, a fire at the plant produced a plume that released chemicals into the air.

Jane Sadler: 7:00 in the morning, they banging on our door. "You got to evacuate."

Pamela Kirkland: Sadler was among 17,000 people evacuated. It was only the latest evacuation after a fire at BioLab. Sadler and her neighbor, Barbara Baker, remember the fire of 20 years ago.

Barbara Baker: In 2004 it was just black smoke. But this time it was red, pink, chocolate, black. And so with all that being said, we know it's poisoned.

Pamela Kirkland: And there have been several fires at BioLab over the years: 2004, 2015, 2020. Years after the 2004 fire, BioLab's former parent company settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice, paying millions for environmental cleanup in 15 states. This included $785,000 for violations at the Conyers BioLab site. Now, the question for residents like Sadler and Baker is how this possibly happened again. Here's Jane Sadler.

Jane Sadler: Why didn't they make them accountable, especially when it had happened before? Especially when it had happened in 2020. And they never said anything to us about it. But there was a fire then. So did you not go in there and inspect what's on the shelves? Come on now.

Pamela Kirkland: That 2020 fire was cited in a report last year by the Chemical Safety Board, an investigative but non-regulatory federal agency. The report said some of the chemicals stored at bio lab can produce toxic chlorine gas when mixed with water. They advised federal regulators to increase oversight. They've been making that same recommendation since 2002. That's what Georgia congressman Hank Johnson is asking the EPA for now.

Hank Johnson: Especially when those facilities are located in communities where people live.

Pamela Kirkland: A GPB review of state and federal reports suggest BioLab isn't a safe place to work, either. Dozens of Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations, including violations for not properly training employees on hazardous chemicals, date back some 30 years. BioLab declined our request for an interview for this story. In a written statement, the company says, quote, "BioLab takes operational safety very seriously." Congressman Hank Johnson is pushing for the plant to relocate. Jane Sadler says if BioLab stays, there's one way they could make it right with residents.

Jane Sadler: They need to buy us out. They can have the house. They can have the land because it's no good.

Pamela Kirkland: Hank Johnson says he's still waiting to hear from the EPA. For GPB News, I'm Pamela Kirkland.

Caption

A bouquet of flowers is affixed to the McIntosh County mainland dock near Sapelo Island.

Credit: Benjamin Payne / GPB News

Story 5:

Peter Biello: The gangway collapse that killed seven people on a Sapelo Island dock last weekend wasn't the first time state officials were made aware of problems with the metal platform. The Department of Natural Resources, which operates the gangway, published an update yesterday that includes brief notes about its history with the gangway. Among other tidbits, it says a group of people heard a loud noise while standing on the platform in 2022 and told DNR about it. A subcontractor then inspected the gangway and found no structural issues. The agency says it will hold two, quote, "community support sessions," one on the island and the other on the mainland in Darien tomorrow.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Select counties have been approved for disaster food assistance following damage from Hurricane Helene. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and applications are open on a rolling basis. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more.

Sofi Gratas: DSNAP is a one-time payment for people who can't afford damage-related expenses. Applications for the program have closed in five Coastal Georgia counties, but three other application periods will run through November, open to people in 50 more counties hit by Hurricane Helene. Only those who don't currently receive SNAP benefits, sometimes known as food stamps, can apply. Cindy Long with the USDA says she still expects that's tens of thousands of people.

Cindy Long: Don't assume that you're not eligible just because you're not typically eligible for SNAP when — when life is normal. There are adequate resources, and it's meant to serve everyone who has a need and who qualifies.

Sofi Gratas: The Georgia Department of Human Services says it will take applications for monthly SNAP benefits once DSNAP expires. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp visited Columbus yesterday for the dedication of the Korean War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum, including Medal of Honor recipient, the late Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. Kemp spoke about Puckett's legacy and bravery.

Brian Kemp Col. Ralph Puckett, as was mentioned earlier, was one of the great heroes of this conflict and one of our great American heroes in general for our state and our nation.

Peter Biello: Korean dignitaries, active service members and veterans were on hand for the memorial dedication.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: The red-cockaded woodpecker, an iconic bird in Southeastern forests, has recovered enough of its population to be taken off the endangered species list. It's now on the threatened list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the status change yesterday. Tallahassee-based biologist Robert Meyer of the nonprofit Tall Timbers welcomed the milestone — with a caveat.

Robert Meyer: Used to be probably millions of these things running around the landscape. But we just have, I think about tens of thousands are on the landscape at this point. So, not out of the woods yet.

Caption

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Peter Biello: Red cockaded woodpeckers nest only in mature longleaf pine forests, which is among the nation's most endangered ecosystems. The Bezos Earth Fund said this week it's giving $60 million to the nonprofit National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support longleaf pine forest restoration. The foundation's regional director, Jay Jensen, says the money will help private landowners.

Jay Jensen: The type of work we'll do is predominantly working with private landowners to help them give them options for how to manage their lands. And that might take shape as helping them get connected with experts who can help them write plans for their forests. Or it might take shape as giving them a little bit of extra incentive through financial assistance, a little bit of money to help them pay for some of the practices that are needed to restore longleaf pines.

Peter Biello: Both the red cockaded woodpeckers and longleaf pine forests have storied histories and enthusiasts in South Georgia.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: The American Red Cross is asking for blood and platelet donations as the holiday season approaches. Recent hurricanes disrupted blood collections, so the need is urgent to ensure steady supplies for routine and emergency care. That's according to the organization. With Type O blood especially in demand, eligible donors are encouraged to make an appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling one 1-800-REDCROSS.

Story 10:

Peter Biello: And finally, Georgia's beloved Vidalia onions are getting a high-tech boost thanks to researchers at the University of Georgia. Combining artificial intelligence, robotics and plant science, the team is building an image library of onion disease symptoms. By training AI to recognize patterns, they can detect disease faster, allowing growers to target treatments more precisely. The new app, SmartDetect, lets farmers identify hard to spot diseases and monitor outbreaks, improving sustainability and crop yield.

Peter Biello: And that's a wrap on this edition of Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, check out GPB.org/news. And please do subscribe to this podcast — that way we'll be back in your podcast feed automatically on Monday afternoon. And if you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news