A Georgia county official died on Wednesday (Oct. 9) after talking out concerning the incident at BioLab final month. Kenny Johnson was the Rockdale County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor. Johnson collapsed at Georgia’s Capitol constructing after he, enterprise homeowners, and leaders testified concerning the chemical plant fireplace, per The Associated Press.

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More Details On Kenny Johnson’s Death 

At this time, Johnson’s reason behind loss of life has not been revealed. Additionally, it’s unclear if the Rockdale County official spent any time within the BioLab neighborhood following the fireplace.

According to the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, the 62-year-old Johnson “complained of shortness of breath and subsequently collapsed in the hallway” after the assembly, per Fox 5 Atlanta.

Additionally, State Rep. Viola Davis, who’s a nurse, administered CPR till medical officers arrived. Emergency responders rushed Kenny Johnson to Grady Memorial Hospital. However, he died later that day.

“Kenny dedicated years as the Soil and Water Conservation District representative and as an environmental justice advocate,” Senator Davis stated. “His unwavering commitment to environmental justice and his testimony on the effects of the Biolab chemical fire on the community remain etched in our memories.”

Kenny’s physique will bear an post-mortem spearheaded by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, per Fox 5. Watch state lawmakers talk about the BioLab incident under.

Here’s What Happened With BioLab

The BioLab plant is positioned in Conyers, about 25 miles east of Atlanta.  As beforehand reported, the fireplace started after a sprinkler head malfunction at roughly 5 a.m. on Sept. 29. The malfunction induced water to combine with a water-reactive chemical, producing a plume of chemical substances.

From Aimee Baker “My husbands a fireman and took these pictures of his view of the fire in Conyers GA” pic.twitter.com/fMx0GHoFxZ

— James Spann (@spann) September 29, 2024

In the hours after the fireplace on Sunday, Sept. 29, hazardous plumes unfold into neighboring counties. According to the AP, emergency responders obtained it beneath management at about 4 p.m. that very same day. Though there have been staff contained in the constructing when this occurred, no accidents or deaths have been reported.

By the next day, the odor from the BioLab fireplace had traveled the 25 miles to Atlanta. Also on Monday, officers detected chlorine within the air in Rockdale County from the BioLab fireplace.

Rockdale County residents residing within the northern a part of the realm have been requested to evacuate on the identical day as the fireplace, and to shelter in place on Monday. Later on Monday, the Rockdale County Emergency Management Agency lifted the shelter-in-place order and the evacuation zone. At that time, readings from the Environmental Protection Agency had come again clear. Businesses have been allowed to reopen as regular by Tuesday, Oct. 1.

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Associated Press employees contributed to this report.