Crews Working California Chemical Leak in Orange County to Conduct "All-Night Mission" to Test Tank Pressure, Officials Say
Firefighters said a potential crack may reduce pressure as crews cool the tank and monitor air quality, with about 50,000 residents evacuated.
- On Friday, authorities ordered more than 50,000 residents in Garden Grove to evacuate their homes after a GKN Aerospace chemical storage tank began overheating. The compromised tank contains volatile methyl methacrylate, posing a risk of explosion.
- Specialists identified a "potential crack" in the 7,000-gallon tank Saturday night that might be relieving pressure and reducing explosion risks, as firefighters managed temperatures that reached 90°F on Saturday.
- Multiple schools in the Garden Grove Unified School District and Westminster School District remain closed until further notice, with officials pivoting to distance learning for Tuesday and Wednesday. High school graduations scheduled for Tuesday are expected to proceed as planned.
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated on Sunday that a "low-volume release" is the most likely scenario, allowing authorities to monitor and contain the threat. Law firms have launched class-action lawsuits seeking accountability for residents facing property disruption and health risks.
- Governor Gavin Newsom requested a federal emergency declaration on Sunday to support response operations. U.S. Rep. Derek Tran called for a "deep investigation" into safety protocols at the facility, which paid about $900,000 to settle environmental violations in 2021.
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99 Articles
Orange County Chemical Emergency Keeps Thousands Away From Home
A chemical emergency in Orange County has kept tens of thousands of residents away from their homes as crews monitor an overheated chemical tank at a GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove. CNN reported that officials ordered evacuations after a tank containing methyl methacrylate began overheating, raising concerns that it could leak or explode. The chemical is used in manufacturing plastics and can pose health risks through fumes or direct exp…
California Chemical Leak Flashpoint: Catastrophic Explosion, Expected Impact Zone As Tank Likely To Fail
Thousands of residents across Southern California remained under evacuation orders over the weekend after officials warned that a damaged chemical storage tank in Orange County was at serious risk of a catastrophic failure. Authorities fear the compromised vessels, located at a GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, could either rupture and release toxic vapours, or worse, trigger a major explosion affecting surrounding neighbourhoods. Emergenc…
How a British-owned plant became the centre of California’s toxic leak danger
An American offshoot of a British company is responsible for the tank holding a highly toxic and flammable chemical, which is in danger of exploding in California. The tank is on the site of GKN Aerospace, a division of British supplier Melrose Industries. GKN makes aircraft windscreens and aerospace plastics, among other things. In a statement on its website on Sunday, Melrose said it is working closely with authorities at the site of the leak,…
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