California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday due to a critical situation at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove, where a storage tank containing 6-7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate (MMA) began off-gassing and threatened to fail or explode. Authorities ordered evacuations for up to 44,000 people across six cities: Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster.
Key Takeaways
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after a storage tank containing 6-7,000 gallons of volatile chemical MMA threatened to fail or explode in Garden Grove. Evacuation orders were issued for up to 44,000 people across six cities.
- Tank at GKN Aerospace facility began off-gassing and heating up despite cooling efforts
- Authorities warn of potential spill or explosion, with no injuries reported so far
- MMA is highly toxic and can cause severe respiratory distress if inhaled in high levels
The crisis originated on Thursday when damage to a valve on the tank at GKN Aerospace prevented complete mitigation. Despite initial efforts by hazmat teams to stabilize the situation, it worsened overnight. Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey warned that the tank is 'actively in crisis' and faces two possible outcomes: failing and spilling its contents or going into thermal runaway and exploding.
Firefighters have been dousing the tank with water using a mechanical device to keep humans at a safe distance, which has stabilized the temperature and bought time. Authorities established three evacuation shelters in Garden Grove, Anaheim, and Cypress. As of Saturday afternoon, no injuries or deaths had been reported.
The chemical MMA is highly volatile and toxic, capable of causing severe respiratory distress if inhaled at high levels. Health officials expressed concern that vapor could cause severe respiratory issues but air quality monitors detected no such vapor as per Reuters. The evacuation zone extends roughly between one to three miles away from the failing chemical tank, with residential homes situated less than 400 feet east of the tank in Stanton.
Despite efforts to cool the tank, its internal temperature rose from 77 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday morning to 90 degrees by Saturday. The temperature was increasing by about one degree per hour, according to Division Chief Craig Covey as reported by HuffPost. Firefighters explored using a heavy flow of cooling water to slow the curing process inside the tank and reduce pressure.
The incident began on Thursday at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove. The site specializes in manufacturing and testing windows and canopies for commercial and military aircraft. About 15% of people in the evacuation zone are refusing to leave, according to Reuters, citing the Orange County Register.
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