Orange County Declares State Of Emergency As Crews Contain Methyl Methacrylate Leak In Garden Grove

Authorities in Orange County, California, declared a state of emergency as crews raced to contain a toxic chemical leak at a manufacturing facility in Garden Grove.

“Evacuation orders issued in California city over chemical tank: 'It fails or it blows up' The tank that is in "crisis" contains methyl methacrylate, officials said”

ABC News

The Orange County Fire Authority warned a tank containing about 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate was at risk of failure, with Craig Covey saying they were planning for two scenarios: "Does it rupture and spill, or does it blow up?"

ABC News

NBC News reported emergency crews were bracing for the possibility the tank could either rupture or explode, forcing an estimated 40,000 people from their homes.

The BBC said the tank’s temperature was higher than previously thought and was continuing to rise, with Covey describing the situation as "literally two options left: The tank fails and spills... or, two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up."

Officials said the aerospace facility is about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles and about 5 miles from the Disneyland theme park, which was outside the evacuation zone and open as normal.

Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate as Orange County officials said the tank could fail and spill or go into thermal runaway, with CBS News reporting more than 44,000 people remained evacuated on Saturday.

Craig Covey told CBS LA that "This thing is gonna fail. We don't know when," and he said his team was developing contingency plans while officials monitored the site.

ABC7 Los Angeles

The BBC quoted Orange County health officer Dr Regina Chinsio-Kwong warning that anyone who noticed "a fruity and heavy smell" should alert authorities.

NBC News said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong tried to reassure residents outside the evacuation area, saying those beyond the designated zone were not believed to face health risks and did not need masks.

NBC News also reported that air quality monitors had not detected methyl methacrylate in the air and that no injuries had been reported.

Response teams were preparing for multiple outcomes, with NBC News describing planning for three scenarios including a slower "curing" process using heavy water cooling to reduce pressure buildup enough to prevent a disastrous explosion.

“40,000 people under evacuation orders for a chemical tank leak in Southern California 40,000 people under evacuation orders for a chemical tank leak in Southern California Authorities in Southern California on Friday were racing to figure out how to prevent the explosion of a storage tank that has been leaking a hazardous chemical used to make plastic parts, as some 40,000 people were under evacuation orders in the area”

Associated Press

Craig Covey said firefighters were also developing contingency plans for a possible environmental disaster if the tank spills, including efforts to divert the chemical away from storm drains, river channels and ultimately the ocean.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the tank crisis began in Garden Grove on Thursday when a tank with MMA started to experience an increase in temperature and that it "got to a point where it does what we call a BLEVE".

NBC News said crews were cooling the tank for hours using a sprinkler system and unmanned hose lines, and Covey said officials believed the water may be helping slow the "curing" process.

The BBC reported that the cause of the failing tank is under investigation, while the facility is operated by GKN Aerospace and the company’s spokesperson said, "The situation remains ongoing and we are fully focused on working with emergency services".