CONYERS, Ga. -- A town hall meeting will be held Wednesday, May 21, to discuss potential chemical exposures from the September fire at BioLab in Rockdale County, which created a massive plume of smoke and forced 1,700 people to evacuate.
Environmental advocate Scott Smith, Bressman Law, The Keenan Law Firm and David Graham Insurance Lawyers are hosting the event, which will happen at 5:30 p.m. at Stone Manor Events Facility, 3113 Stone Mountain Street in Lithonia.
Smith collected samples of water, ash, soot, and other debris immediately following the fire and sent it to a third party nationally accredited lab for testing. He told 11Alive that testing revealed the presence of volatile organic compounds, dioxins and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in some of the samples.
Those compounds are known for their potential to cause health problems, including cancer. Smith said it's important for residents to be informed and track any health concerns that may have developed since the fire.
"We're hearing about bloody noses, we're hearing about headaches, brain fog, female issues related to menstrual cycles, some people are getting stroke-like symptoms," he said. "I think they should know what they've possibly been exposed to and if they're having some symptoms, they should be able to take these chemicals I've identified and seek appropriate help for their family."
RELATED: BioLab will not resume manufacturing at Conyers facility after fire, company says
State and federal health officials have not directly challenged Smith's findings, but have repeatedly said there's no immediate health threat to the community.
An Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson told 11Alive that 100% of water runoff from fighting the fire was contained, adding the agency worked with Georgia Environmental Protection Division to ensure nearby water sources remain within quality standards.
Atlanta Fire Rescue also reported that it conducted air quality tests that showed no threat to public safety.
RELATED: BioLab still not paying: Second family says furniture stored near chemical plume site was contaminated, points to 11Alive report
Beyond that, no state or federal agency will confirm if they've taken any additional samples or done additional testing.
"If you or I were generating soot and ash raining down people's properties and we got the EPA knocking on her door and we said 'don't worry about it, it's harmless,' that wouldn't be OK," said Smith. "So,why is it OK for our own government and EPA to say that? You had a major fire event and they owe it to the public to do comprehensive testing."
The law firms hosting Wednesday's town hall have expressed they plan to pursue individual chemical exposure claims.