Officials in Southern California lifted the final evacuation orders for residents living near a damaged chemical tank in Garden Grove, ending a multi-day emergency that had disrupted Memorial Day weekend and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes. The orders were lifted Tuesday night, officials said, allowing about 16,000 people to return.
The crisis began Thursday when a crack appeared on a tank containing methyl methacrylate at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, which makes cockpit windows, canopies and windshields. Officials said the tank’s failure did not lead to a catastrophic explosion, in part because a crack that formed relieved pressure, helping reduce the risk to surrounding neighborhoods.
Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey said the last evacuation orders were removed after officials watched the tank’s temperature remain stable for four hours without intervention from sprinklers. “All residents will go home,” Covey said during a meeting that drew residents who criticized why the chemical was located in a densely populated area and pressed city officials to hold the company accountable.
Officials reported that so far, testing has found no contamination. Health officials also said they will continue monitoring, with air monitoring planned for several months and checks of sewer and storm drains for possible spills. Health experts cited in the report said methyl methacrylate exposure can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological issues and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat.
Garden Grove authorities said the tank overheated because a valve on the cooling system failed, leaving it unable to stay at the target temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Crews sprayed water on the tank to stabilize the interior temperature to 92 F (33.3 C) after it had been 100 F (37.7 C) over the weekend, according to earlier fire department information, and firefighters used a sprinkler system to douse the tank while the company removed insulation to help cool it.
The tank held 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable chemical. Orange County Health Director Regina Chinsio-Kwong told residents returning over the holiday weekend that they should feel comfortable going home even if they were across the boundary of the most recent evacuation zone.
Some residents described physical symptoms during the period when they were asked to leave. Isabel Mendez, 34, said she broke out in a rash on her face and had tingling lips and a sore throat while she prepared to leave after an evacuation order was issued Thursday, but she said the symptoms disappeared a few hours later. She was among the last people allowed back to a mobile home near the site.
At a city council meeting, residents called for accountability, including stricter regulations they said could prevent similar incidents. Karen Nguyen, 29, said she would go home now that the evacuation order was lifted but worried about what the chemical might do to her three cats, which she said already have health issues. Bobbi-Lee Smart, who said she was evacuated from her home in nearby Anaheim, said many of her neighbors were too poor to get out and urged officials to take action.
Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein pledged to hold the company accountable, and residents questioned why the incident occurred in the first place. In a statement earlier Tuesday, GKN said it was working closely with authorities, adding, “We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing, and our priority remains the safety of our neighbors and our community.”
Separately, officials said a chemical tank imploded Tuesday at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state, killing one worker and injuring nine others, with authorities saying they were working on recovery efforts. The California incident was described as reminiscent of a 2014 chemical spill in Charleston, West Virginia, which led to a new state law requiring more inspections and registrations of aboveground storage tanks.