Thousands Evacuated as California Chemical Tank Faces Explosion Risk

(SeaPRwire) –   On Sunday, a damaged storage tank at an aerospace plastics facility in Orange County, California, faced risks of explosion or leakage that could release roughly 7,000 gallons of volatile chemicals. 

Roughly 50,000 local residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes in the area, while firefighters use water hoses to spray and cool the tank to prevent an explosion. There is currently no clear timeline for when residents will be allowed to return to their properties. Governor Gavin Newsom has also issued a state of emergency for the county.

The tank, located at GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove site, holds the chemical methyl methacrylate, which is used to produce plastic. 

Below is key information the public needs to know about the affected tank.

Risk of respiratory problems, coughing and wheezing

Authorities first responded to the GKN Aerospace site, which sits around 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, on Thursday 

The issue began when the tank’s temperature started rising, which caused the tank to bulge and triggered a nearby relief valve and sprinkler system. The exact cause of the temperature increase has not yet been confirmed. 

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), methyl methacrylate inside the tank can irritate people’s eyes and skin, and can trigger respiratory issues such as chest tightness, coughing and wheezing.

“There are only two possible outcomes left at this point: One, the tank fails and spills roughly 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of hazardous chemicals into the parking lot and surrounding area,” Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Incident Commander and Division Chief Craig Covey said during a Friday press conference. “Or two, the tank experiences thermal runaway and explodes, which will also impact surrounding tanks that store fuel or other chemicals.”

By Sunday morning, however, OCFA Interim Chief TJ McGovern said emergency crews found a pressure-relieving crack in the tank late Saturday night, which has put ongoing relief efforts on a “new trajectory”.

“We have been informed that the tank will eventually fail,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday morning. Zeldin noted that an explosion would be the most “catastrophic” possible outcome, but added that the most “likely” scenario is not an explosion, but “a low-volume release that local authorities will be able to monitor, neutralize, and contain.”

“Right now, this is an emergency response. It is not yet an environmental response, and the scale of that future environmental response will be determined based on what happens when the tank fails,” he added.

Lawsuit brought against GKN

GKN Aerospace released a statement apologizing to local residents affected by the storage tank incident at its Garden Grove site.

“We continue to monitor the condition of the affected material and are working around the clock to lower the risk of a leak,” the company said. “We are keenly aware of the uncertainty this incident has caused and sincerely apologise for the ongoing disruption to the local community.”

By Saturday, though, California-based X-Law Group P.C. and Presidio Law Firm LLC had already filed a lawsuit against the company on behalf of two Garden Grove residents who were ordered to evacuate their homes on Thursday.

“There are no good outcomes for people living nearby,” the residents’ legal team wrote in a statement. “Even in the best-case scenario, a slow, controlled leak still forces residents out of their homes for an indefinite period, disrupting families, businesses, and daily life.”

TIME has reached out to GKN Aerospace for comment on the lawsuit.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer launched an investigation into GKN on Saturday, pledging to hold the company “accountable.”

“For goodness’ sake, they are located in the middle of a mixed commercial and residential area, with a dense urban population. … It’s irresponsible, it’s horrific, and I’m angry about it,” Spitzer told CBS Los Angeles on Saturday. 

“I am baffled, asking a question I think everyone is asking: How could this entity … a multi-million dollar company that handles manufacturing with volatile chemicals, not have any redundancy or backup cooling systems in place?”