Fire officials and company officials responded to a chemical-tank malfunction at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, California, after investigators determined the tank appeared to have cracked and could pose both an explosive hazard and a toxic-fume risk. NPR reported that evacuation orders were issued after emergency responders identified a problem at a tank holding methyl methacrylate, a chemical used in the manufacturing of resins and plastics.
Orange County Fire Authority interim county fire chief TJ McGovern said firefighters approached the tank late Saturday to “get eyes” on the situation and found “a potential crack in the tank,” according to a post he made on social media. Emergency responders had begun responding to the incident Thursday, according to the report, after officials said the chemical in the tank began to exceed a safe temperature.
The tank is located in the southeastern corner of the GKN Aerospace facility, and it holds about 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, NPR reported. The chemical is described as highly toxic and highly flammable, and the report said it releases energy exothermically when it reacts, meaning a reaction in a container can lead to a pressure buildup that raises the risk of an explosive event.
NPR reported that fire officials said the tank had already begun to bulge outward and that Orange County Fire incident commander Craig Covey described the ongoing response as a cooling effort. Firefighters continued to cool the tank by continuously spraying it with water, the report said, while nearby tanks were handled differently: one tank had been safely drained and neutralized, and another was considered stable for the time being.
Covey told reporters on Friday that a crack, while far from ideal, could represent a better outcome than a sudden failure inside the tank. In the report, Covey said that if the damaged tank cracked, it could be “the best outcome,” because in “a weird world that’s the best case scenario believe it or not,” once the chemical comes out it would be no longer an explosive hazard inside the container.
The response also included steps meant to limit the spread of any potential leak, the report said. Covey said firefighters had created containment barriers in anticipation of a possible release, and he told reporters that firefighters had laid down sand and other materials in an effort to stem the chemical’s flow into nearby storm drains and waterways.
Methyl methacrylate’s risks extend beyond explosion danger. NPR reported that the chemical can irritate skin and eyes and can cause respiratory issues and neurological symptoms including headache and lethargy, with more long-term exposure potentially causing lung and organ damage.
As the operation continued, residents were kept away from the area while responders monitored whether fumes were present and whether the situation would worsen. McGovern told residents in a video statement that officials wanted to get them back, but that they “cannot do that until it’s deemed safe,” and the report said the fire department evacuated a large area because it could not predict which direction potential fumes might travel.
NPR reported that, as of Sunday, no fumes had been detected by firefighters or by the Environmental Protection Agency, which set up monitoring stations around the site. McGovern and Covey said the latest assessment of the tank’s condition provided some reason for caution: McGovern said reconnaissance gave him “reason to hope” that the crack could “potentially be relieving some of the pressure in there,” and the report said “there could be a lot more coming shortly,” as officials continued to evaluate the damaged tank and the surrounding hazards.