GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (AP) — Approximately 40,000 residents were placed under evacuation orders and schools were closed on Friday in Southern California as a storage tank containing a hazardous chemical used in plastic manufacturing continued to leak, with officials warning it could rupture or explode.
Chemical Leak at Aerospace Facility
The incident began on Thursday when a storage tank holding between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate overheated at an aerospace plastics facility in Garden Grove, a city in Orange County. The chemical began venting vapors into the air, prompting a response from the county’s fire authority.
Officials initially ordered evacuations for Garden Grove residents and expanded the orders on Friday to include parts of five other Orange County cities: Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster. This expansion came after crews were unable to stop the leak overnight at the GKN Aerospace facility, which manufactures parts for commercial and military aircraft.
Officials Warn of Potential Failure
“This is not precautionary. … This thing is going to fail, and we don’t know when,” said Garden Grove Fire Chief Craig Covey during a Friday afternoon press conference. “We’re doing our best to figure out when or how we can prevent it.” Covey explained that the tank could fail and crack, releasing the chemical onto the ground, or it could explode.
Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein addressed the public at the news conference, stating, “We understand that this is frightening. But the evacuation orders are in place for your safety.”
Containment and Safety Measures
Covey noted that crews have set up containment barriers using sandbags to prevent any chemical spill from reaching storm drains, creeks, or the nearby ocean. He emphasized that the chemical is highly volatile, toxic, and flammable. “We are setting up these evacuations in preparation for these two options: it fails, or it blows up,” Covey said earlier in a video update posted on social media. “Please follow our requests and orders for evacuations.”
Crews initially succeeded in neutralizing one of two damaged tanks, but Covey determined on Friday morning that the remaining tank was “in the biggest crisis.” No injuries or deaths have been reported, authorities confirmed.
