A Georgia county official died on Wednesday (October 9) after speaking out about the incident at Biology laboratory last month. Kenny Johnson is a supervisor for the Rockdale County Soil and Water Conservation District. Johnson collapsed at Georgia’s Capitol building after he, business owners and leaders testified about the chemical plant fire, according to AP news agency.
RELATED: More than 90,000 Georgia residents said to be affected after fire at BioLab chemical plant (PHOTOS)
More details about Kenny Johnson’s death
Currently, Johnson’s cause of death has not been revealed. Additionally, it is unclear whether Rockdale County officials spent any time in the BioLab neighborhood after the fire.
According to the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, Johnson, 62, “complained of shortness of breath and then collapsed in the hallway” after the meeting, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Additionally, state Rep. Viola Davis, a nurse, performed CPR until medical officials arrived. Emergency responders rushed Kenny Johnson to Grady Memorial Hospital. However, he passed away later that day.
“Kenny has dedicated many years as a Soil and Water Conservation District representative and environmental justice advocate,” said Senator Davis. “His steadfast commitment to environmental justice and his testimony about the impact of the Biolab chemical fire on the community remain etched in our memories.”
Kenny’s body will undergo an autopsy led by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to Fox 5. Watch state lawmakers discuss the BioLab case below.
This is what happened with BioLab
The BioLab plant is located in Conyers, about 25 miles east of Atlanta. EQUAL previously reportedThe fire started after a sprinkler head failure around 5 a.m. on September 29. The incident caused water mixed with chemicals to react with the water, creating a chemical plume.
From Aimee Baker “My husband is a firefighter and took these photos of him seeing the fire in Conyers GA” pic.twitter.com/fMx0GHoFxZ
— James Spann (@spann) September 29, 2024
In the hours following the fire on Sunday, September 29, dangerous smoke plumes spread to neighboring counties. According to AP, emergency responders brought it under control around 4 p.m. the same day. Although there were employees inside the building when the incident occurred, no injuries or deaths were reported.
By the next day, the smell from the BioLab fire had spread as far as 25 miles to Atlanta. Also on Monday, officials detected chlorine in the air in Rockdale County from the BioLab fire.
Rockdale County residents living in the northern part of the area were told to evacuate the same day of the fire and shelter in place on Monday. Late Monday, Rockdale County Emergency Management lifted the shelter-in-place and evacuation zone orders. At that time, the results from the Environmental Protection Agency came back clear. Businesses are allowed to reopen as normal on Tuesday, October 1.
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Associated Press staff contributed to this report.
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