Blast threat eliminated at chemical tank in Garden Grove
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KESQ) - The threat of a major explosion has been eliminated at a compromised chemical tank in Garden Grove, authorities said today, though evacuation orders for some 50,000 people remained in effect, while President Donald Trump declared a federal emergency in Orange County.
The Orange County Fire Authority said the temperature within the tank had dropped from 100 degrees to 93 degrees in an overnight reading, and a crack in the tank had helped ease pressure.
"We are happy to report that the threat of a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) is now off the table; that threat has been eliminated,'' Interim OCFA Fire Chief TJ McGovern said Monday morning.
Unified Incident Commander Craig Covey called the drop in temperature "incredibly positive news as we turn the corner in this incident."
However, McGovern said a small explosion could not be ruled out yet.
"We still have potential for an explosion that it's not as bad as a BLEVE, but it's still a threat,'' he said. "There was still a threat out there, and we need the public to keep to those evacuation zones until we deem it safe for them to come back."
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the following statement:
"This is a positive development. Thank you to the hundreds of first responders, hazardous materials teams, and emergency personnel working around the clock to protect Orange County families. Families in the impacted area should continue following all local evacuation orders and guidance from local officials as crews continue to contain the situation and monitor air quality."
A team of OCFA firefighters conducted the latest overnight mission to assess whether the crack spotted on the 7,000-gallon tank filled with methyl methacrylate, a flammable and toxic chemical used to manufacture acrylic plastics, was actually helping to reduce the chance of an explosion.
Authorities were only conducting temperature checks at night, when the tank was not exposed to the sun, for the safety of firefighters. In addition to the crack, the OCFA said there was also peeling of the weather stripping on the exterior, but there was no active leak.
The evacuation zone remained in effect until further notice. It stretches north of Trask Avenue, south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street and west of Dale Street, and includes the entire city of Stanton, along with parts of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Westminster, Buena Park and Cypress.
The following evacuation centers were opened, though many filled up quickly:
-- Los Amigos High School, 16566 Newhope St., Fountain Valley.
-- Oceanview High School, 17071 Gothard St., Huntington Beach, 714-848-0656.
-- John F. Kennedy High School, 8281 Walker St., La Palma, 714-220-4101.
-- Freedom Hall, Mile Square Regional Park, 6801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley, 714-973-6600.
-- Savanna High School, 301 N. Gilbert St., Anaheim.
-- Golden West College gymnasium, 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach.
-- Los Alamitos High School, 3591 W. Cerritos Ave., Los Alamitos.
-- OC Fair & Events Center (RV shelter), 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.
All locations were accepting pets except for Golden West College. A Garden Grove emergency hotline was operated at 714-741-5444, and an Orange County public information hotline was available at 714 628-7085.
Authorities responded to GKN Aerospace, a global supplier of vehicle and aircraft components that manufactures acrylic plastics, at about 3 p.m. Thursday after the tank began venting vapors and triggering a sprinkler system designed to spray water on it to cool the material inside. Officials feared that further instability in the 7,000-gallon tank could have set off an explosion in two adjacent tanks at the facility, one holding 15,000 gallons and one that contains 4,500 gallons.
The plant is located at 12122 Western Ave.
GKN Aerospace posted the following statement on its website Monday: ``During the evening of May 24, technical specialists working for the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove conducted a joint operation with Orange County Fire Authority to assess the storage tank more closely. The team safely and successfully removed external insulation material from the tank in order to help advance efforts to cool its contents. This operation followed several days of careful monitoring and work to stabilize the tank, in conjunction with the dedicated team of experts on-site.
"We are continuing to work around the clock with the OCFA, the EPA and all relevant federal, state and local agencies to mitigate the ongoing risk of a leak. We remain extremely thankful for their dedication and hard work.
"We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing and our priority remains its safe resolution, so that residents can return to their homes as quickly as possible. Please continue to follow all instructions issued by local authorities and emergency personnel at this time.''
Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Saturday, and requested a federal emergency declaration from Trump one day later. Trump signed the order Monday, according to Newsom and other local officials.
"I'm proud to announce that President Trump heard our request and signed a federal emergency declaration for Orange County and our ongoing hazmat situation. Thank you, Mr. President!'' Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen posted on X.
The governor's office said a declaration from the Trump administration will permit federal cost-sharing support for urgent actions such as evacuations, sheltering and emergency medical support, access to public assistance to help pay for overtime, equipment and other emergency actions, and the ability for FEMA to provide additional direct federal assistance, such as personnel, specialized equipment and technical support.
It differs from a major disaster declaration, which is typically approved only after significant damage has occurred.
Rep. Derek Tran, D-Westminster, welcomed the news of Trump's declaration.
"Over 50,000 of our neighbors have experienced unprecedented chaos and uncertainty over the last four days. I am grateful to our first responders for their tireless efforts to keep our community safe and mitigate this crisis,'' Tran said.
"I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Governor Newsom and Senators Padilla and Schiff for their steadfast commitment to securing every possible resource available to keep Orange County residents safe. A Federal Emergency Declaration will provide necessary additional support to protect public health, safeguard our environment, and defray the significant cost of this crisis."
Newsom's office announced that nearly 800 state and local first responders and emergency personnel were supporting public safety, evacuations, traffic management, sheltering operations, environmental monitoring and community assistance efforts.
Monday's good news was a major shift from Saturday, when Covey said the temperature had increased to 90 degrees from 77 degrees Friday morning. He said then that the OCFA was ``bringing people in from all over the country, talking to people all over the place, trying to come up with additional options. Letting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable to us.''
He added that ``very aggressive'' contingency plans were being employed in case the tank blew up or leaked. Authorities were trying to establish ``some diking and damming and divert it to a spot that could be a holding area'' to prevent the fluid from ``getting into our storm drains, our river channels and ultimately into the ocean, (causing) an environmental disaster,'' Covey said.
Air quality monitors have said they have not detected any contaminants in the atmosphere near the facility thus far.
It was unclear what caused the material in the tank to overheat.
In addition to the evacuation centers, all Orange County 24 Hour Fitness clubs and several locations in the southwest Los Angeles area were opened to offer restrooms and showers, phone-charging and air conditioned space to rest for impacted residents.
Multiple schools in the Garden Grove, Magnolia, Savanna, Westminster and Cypress school districts were closed until further notice.
State transportation services and emergency personnel were also helping maintain safe evacuation routes and traffic flow throughout impacted areas. Multiple Caltrans and California Highway Patrol staff were coordinating highway closures and traffic management operations in evacuation zones.
Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Saturday cautioned anyone who would jack up prices on needed items during a state of emergency.
"California's price gouging law protects people impacted by an emergency from illegal price gouging on housing, gas, food and other essential supplies,'' he said. "If you see price gouging, I encourage you to immediately file a complaint with my office online at oag.ca.gov/report or contact your local police department or sheriff's office.''
The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced Saturday afternoon that it has established an anonymous tipline and online reporting form to gather information regarding the incident.
"Anyone with information related to the circumstances leading up to this incident, including but not limited to specific details of the release, information about the industrial operations of the facility, the quality and frequency of maintenance of the tanks and systems at issue, and any other relevant information at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, is encouraged to call the Orange County District Attorney Anonymous Tip Hotline at 714-347-8714 or fill out an anonymous online form at www.ocdistrictattorney.gov,'' the office stated.
In 2021, GKN Aerospace paid about $900,000 to settle multiple environmental violations, including failing to keep emission records and operating equipment without a permit, according to the OC Register, which cited the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park and Disneyland in Anaheim were both open this weekend, but park officials said they were continuing to monitor the situation.
Disneyland officials said in a statement online that they were "taking guidance from local authorities,'' adding that ``the Disneyland Resort is approximately five miles from the incident and is not in the identified evacuation zone.''
The OCFA said the incident management team, in consultation with the EPA and Orange County Health Care Agency, ``has established the evacuation zone. Any areas outside of this zone are currently considered completely safe and day-to-day activities can continue as normal.''
