Georgia Today: BioLab fined by OSHA for chemical fire; Tariff effects; Cold snap delays peanut crop

Peter Biello: Hello and welcome to Georgia Today. On this podcast, we feature the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, OSHA says improperly stored chemicals sparked last year's fire at the BioLab facility in Conyers. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce tells its members to prepare for the effects of new tariffs enacted by the Trump administration. And a cold snap delays the start of this year's peanut crop in Georgia.

Scott Monfort: And everybody's itching to get started because we do have so many acres of peanuts this year.

Peter Biello: Today is Tuesday, April 8. I'm Peter Bielo. And this is Georgia Today.

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 1:

Peter Biello: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, says improperly stored chemicals sparked last year's fire at the BioLab facility in Conyers, east of Atlanta. The federal agency is proposing more than $61,000 in penalties. GPB's Pamela Kirkland reports.

Pamela Kirkland: OSHA says BioLab failed to properly store hazardous chlorine-based chemicals — materials the agency says are both toxic and flammable. In a citation issued late last month, inspectors also found BioLab's emergency response team wasn't equipped with the right respirators or protective gear when the fire broke out. The company was also cited for not maintaining required medical records for those workers. In total, OSHA issued four serious violations and two lesser violations. In an email statement to GPB, BioLab says it quote, "takes operational safety very seriously and is cooperating with investigators, but disputes OSHA's conclusion about the cause of the fire." For GPB News, I'm Pamela Kirkland.

Peter Biello: And for an in-depth investigation into the BioLab fire, check out the new GPB podcast, Manufacturing Danger.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Congress still has not passed the 2024 farm bill to fund crop insurance, conservation and other agricultural programs. But its largest chunk goes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Billions of dollars for that program are on the chopping block as part of efforts by the Trump administration to cut federal spending. A U.S. House committee meeting today saw members engage in a fiery discussion over those cuts and other possible changes to SNAP. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more.

Sofi Gratas: The hearing of the Committee on Agriculture centered on a proposal to expand work requirements under SNAP. Most states, including Georgia, already require able-bodied adults work a certain number of hours to get monthly benefits, but there are some state exemptions that Republicans, like Georgia's Austin Scott ,want removed to encourage self-sufficiency.

Austin Scott: But when you're telling people that they don't have to work, the end result of that is a reduction in their employment benefits.

Sofi Gratas: But Democrats, including Georgia's David Scott, say they're outraged over that plan as Congress debates cuts that could overall shrink aid at the grocery store.

David Scott: The one thing we cannot do without is food.

Sofi Gratas: Of the nearly 2 million people enrolled in SNAP in Georgia, the most are children and families living below poverty. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: The mayor of Savannah is breathing a sigh of relief after state lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have punished the city for its new gun control ordinance. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.

Benjamin Payne: Enacted last year, Savannah's ordinance penalizes gun owners up to $1,000 if they leave a firearm in an unlocked vehicle. In response, Republican lawmakers put forth legislation this year that would have allowed offenders to in turn sue the city for $25,000, but the clock ran out on the legislative session before that bill could clear both chambers. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he was quote, "inspired" by Democrats' efforts to protect Savannah's gun control ordinance.

Van Johnson: We're gonna do in Savannah everything we can to be able to try to keep people safe. To me, asking someone to simply lock their car if they have a firearm in it is not too much to ask. This is common as common sense gets.

Benjamin Payne: Johnson said he expects the gun control ordinance will be targeted again next legislative session but that the city would be ready to defend it. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: This week's cold snap is delaying the start of planting for what could be a bumper crop for Georgia peanuts. Tifton-based University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist Scott Monfort says many farmers switched acreage from cotton to peanuts this year because of cotton's low prices. He says peanuts typically are planted in late April and conditions are not ideal right now. Still, he believes many farmers would have started early if last week's warm weather had continued.

Scott Monfort: It's a good thing because it's holding us back a little bit from planting too early. And everybody's itching to get started because we do have so many acres of peanuts this year.

Peter Biello: He expects Georgia peanut acreage to reach 950,000 acres this season. That's 7% more than last year and could produce the largest peanut crop in decades.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue has confirmed that a reduction in federal spending is impacting the state's public colleges and universities. Speaking in Macon yesterday, Perdue said the Trump administration has notified USG of research funding being withheld, although he didn't say how much. About three dozen people at Georgia Tech protested cuts today from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk. Among those protesters was Georgia Tech earth sciences professor Jennifer Glass. who says one of her grants is under review.

Jennifer Glass: People fleeing this country because it's not a good. It's not a safe place for them it's not  supporting science anymore — or learning in general anymore and it's not academically free anymore.

Peter Biello: The Trump administration has promised to slash spending it characterizes as wasteful.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: The Georgia chamber is urging its members to take a quote, "proactive stance" in the face of new tariffs by the Trump administration. The group last week published a report on the new import fees to help Georgia businesses prepare for them. The report says Georgia set records for international trade in 2024 with $53 billion worth of Georgia-made goods exported to 291 global markets. Georgia imported about $145 billion worth of goods. The chamber urges its members to review their contracts for price adjustment clauses, explore alternative sourcing or markets, and engage with policymakers.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: A new nonprofit organization aims to keep an eye on Georgia utilities. Frustrated with soaring electric bills and unresponsive state officials, consumer advocate Patty Durand last week announced the new Georgia Utility Watch. Durand is a former candidate for the state's utility regulating public service commission.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: The Masters Tournament has released starting times for its opening rounds at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday. Scottie Scheffler will go for his third green jacket in four years and Rory McIlroy again will try for the major he needs for his career grand slam. The field does not include Tiger Woods, who is nonetheless making news. GPB's Devon Zwald reports.

Devon Zwald: Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods will design a new 9-hole course at the Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known as the Patch, that for nearly a century had been an affordable haven for Augusta's working class and Black golfers. The course is being renovated with funding from Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley announced yesterday that Woods' foundation will also to build a new learning center. that will offer science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education to public school students in Augusta. For GPB News, I'm Devon Zwald.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: The Atlanta Braves will take on National League East rival Philadelphia Phillies tonight at Truist Park for the first regular season meeting between the two teams. Chris Sale gets the start for the Braves while Zach Wheeler will start for Phillies. The Braves enter the three-game series with a 1-8 record, the worst in the major leagues, while the Phillies lead the NL East. And the matchup comes on the 51st anniversary of a significant day in Braves history: Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run on this day in 1974, breaking Babe Ruth's home record that had stood since 1935.

You are the "public" in "public broadcasting," and we do our jobs better when we get feedback from you. So let's hear it. Send it to us by email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. When you use that email address, your feedback goes to the whole team. Again, GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. That's a wrap on this edition of Georgia Today, but we will be back tomorrow afternoon. And when you subscribe to this podcast, we will pop up automatically in your podcast feed. For updates on any of these stories and all the latest news, go to GPB.org/news. I'm Peter Bielo; thanks again for listening, we'll see you tomorrow.

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