Work continues at Fulton jail kitchen as natural gas turned back on

The Fulton County Jail’s kitchen took a step toward reopening Thursday as natural gas service was reestablished after being shut down due to a leak, authorities said.

The kitchen remained closed for a third day after several contract workers experienced symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure, the Fulton sheriff’s office said. The first incident led to the discovery of other issues that required the kitchen to be fully closed while repairs took place.

Two of the kitchen’s eight commercial steam kettles had exhaust leaks that caused elevated CO levels each of the previous two nights, the sheriff’s office said. Six contract kitchen employees were treated for CO exposure Monday night, and 17 more were evacuated Tuesday night. Two of those evacuated took themselves to the hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

After workers tried to restart kitchen operations Tuesday night only to be evacuated, Atlanta firefighters discovered the second leaky kettle as well as a natural gas leak, according to the sheriff’s office. Gas service was shut off and cold meals were served to inmates. The jail’s kitchen supplies up to 11,000 meals per day, depending on the inmate population.

The two leaky kettles need to be tested before they can be returned to operation, “which we are hoping is done today,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday. The exhaust fans above the kettles also need to be repaired, but the sheriff’s office had no timetable for when the needed parts could be supplied.

“In the meantime, we have partnered with Atlanta Public Schools and are using a local elementary school kitchen to prepare a hot meal for our residents for this evening and the foreseeable future,” the sheriff’s office said.

Officials did not say how long that arrangement would be feasible. APS schools are on summer break through the rest of the month, but students will return Aug. 1. An APS spokesman has not responded to requests for more information.

The kitchen shutdown began just days after Fulton’s board of commissioners voted to scrap plans for a new $1.7 billion jail in favor of a $300 million renovation plan, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Sheriff Pat Labat, who has repeatedly called for a new jail to be built, blasted the decision as shortsighted and politically motivated.

“This leak is yet another example of the challenges caused by an aging, underfunded jail with infrastructure problems that have led to other resident health issues and stabbings with weapons fashioned from parts of the building,” Labat said in a statement Tuesday.

In a statement, commissioner Bob Ellis argued that renovating “will result in a safer jail faster than rebuilding, at a far lower cost.” Ellis also said the plan balances “the safety and security of our detainees and staff with the financial needs of Fulton County taxpayers.”

The high CO levels and natural gas leak in the kitchen this week did not affect other areas of the jail, which is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for its conditions.

“When we are responsible for feeding thousands of residents a day, our inability to continue work in our kitchen for a 24/7 operation is problematic,” Labat said. “Until we get a replacement facility, problems in the kitchen and the rest of the building will continue to cripple our capability to properly serve our resident population and overall keep our residents and staff safe.”

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