Live updates of 'unprecedented' Garden Grove chemical crisis
For the latest on the situation in Garden Grove, please see our coverage from Sunday, May 24.
Officials responding to an “unprecedented” situation involving a potential chemical leak of a “tank actively in crisis” since Thursday in Orange County, California, said the plan is shifting to "offensive" rather than "defensive" after productive brainstorming sessions on potential disaster mitigation.
Tens of thousands of Orange County, California residents are under evacuation orders Saturday, May 23.
Officials have said for two days that one of two scenarios are likely to unfold: either the tank will fail and leak or it will explode. Roughly 40,000 people have been evacuated due to the incident, Orange County Fire Authority captain Steve Concialdi said.
While the focus of the mitigation efforts Saturday remained on keeping the tanks cool, Craig Covey, an incident commander with the Orange County Fire Authority, said conversations with experts from across the state have resulted in "out-of-the-box" ideas that they are going to explore to help get in front of the situation.
He floated the possibility of a third option in which there would be no damage to homes or the environment.
"We are going to chase down those concepts and if they work will provide an ability to get ahead of this incident and these tanks quit driving the incident," he said. "Sitting back and allowing these tanks to fail is unacceptable."
He, however, did not detail what the potential courses of action might be outside of keeping the tanks as cool as possible.
A chemical at GKN Aerospace overheated inside a 34,000-gallon tank, causing the tank to begin venting vapors. The tank contains methyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical used in plastics and manufacturing, and is located in proximity to two other storage tanks.
"We sincerely apologize for the significant disruption to the many local residents and businesses who have had to be evacuated," GKN Aerospace said in a statement posted on its website Saturday. "We are working tirelessly with all relevant experts to resolve this situation as safely as possible and in a timely manner."
A fire official gave a grim assessment of the "unprecedented" situation.
“One, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6-7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot and that area,” said Craig Covey, a division chief with Orange County Fire Authority. “Or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up, affecting the tanks ... around them” containing “fuel or the chemicals in them as well.”
Full mitigation efforts involving the tank were hindered due to a damaged valve, officials said during a press conference Friday afternoon.
One “best-case scenario” would be for the chemical to cool down so a neutralizing chemical could be added to it, or so that officials could offload it safely, according to Concialdi. While a “great deal” of water and a sprinkler system are being used to keep the tanks cool, the concern is the temperature of the chemical inside the tank containing the roughly 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate.
The temperature was 90 degrees, up from 77 degrees on Friday morning. Covey said it’s been averaging an increase of a degree an hour in an update earlier Saturday.
“One of the concepts we’re thinking about is because of the heavy deluge of water and cooling it, we’re allowing it to cure at a slower rate and reducing its over pressure building,” Covey said.
As the chemical cures, it builds up pressure, but officials are hoping for a possibility in which the tank has the capacity to absorb a slower rate of cure and “not over pressure and blow up,” according to Covey.
Officials have created “containment barriers in anticipation” of roughly 7,000 gallons of “liquid going out on the ground,” he said.
“We’ve made sand barriers,” Covey said. “We’ve done our efforts to mitigate it from getting into the storm drains and the river channels and into our oceans that we know are close.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday, and the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced it established an anonymous tip line and online reporting form to gather information regarding the incident.
Expert's concern in Garden Grove: Building contamination following spill, explosion
Paris Barraza
If there is some sort of ignition — explosion — and fire, the fire would transform the chemicals to other chemicals not necessarily in the tank, said Andrew Whelton, professor of environmental engineering at Purdue University.
In the event of it leaking, it will evaporate into the air, Whelton said. The chemical doesn’t want to be in a liquid phase — it wants to be in the air, he said. “Wind and other atmospheric conditions” will “move that plume of contamination in directions that emergency responders are thinking about and trying to evacuate,” Whelton said.
“If the chemicals spill out onto the ground, and the emergency responders have to wait for the chemicals to fully be released from that tank, you're talking days of that phenomena happening,” Whelton said when asked how long this could linger in the air.
A chemical fire would only stretch the timeline, according to Whelton.
“This is a noteworthy amount of chemical to be released into the environment or be involved in this incident,” Whelton said when asked about how whether or not roughly 7,000 gallons was a lot.
However, it’s not on par with the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that occurred in 2023, which also involved hazardous materials — at least in terms of the amount of chemicals involved, he said.
To visualize the spill, 7,000 gallons of water spilled over a 100-yard football field would mean the entire surface would be covered by a little less than a quarter of an inch of liquid, according to Whelton.
See photos as residents remain evacuated
Jay Calderon
Orange County DA establishes tip line
The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced Saturday afternoon that it has established an anonymous tip line and online reporting form to gather information regarding the incident at GKN Aerospace.
"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 encourage 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 said.
Contributing: City News Service
Representative urges federal disaster declaration request
Rep. Derek Tran, D-Cypress, said he was urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to submit a request to President Donald Trump for a federal disaster declaration "in preparation for a potential catastrophic incident."
Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday.
Contributing: City News Service
Los Angeles 'not affected,' mayor says
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said city officials were closely monitoring the crisis.
"The Los Angeles Fire Department has confirmed that Los Angeles is not affected and there is no risk to the city," Bass said Saturday afternoon. "The LAFD remains in close contact with the Orange County Fire Authority and Cal OES and is sending a hazmat specialist who will serve as a subject matter expert. The LAFD is on standby, ready to offer any further assistance and resources should they be needed. All Angelenos should avoid the area."
Contributing: City News Service
Evacuation area zones, explained
Paris Barraza
In the event of an explosion, officials don’t expect for there to be any health impacts on people who are not in the evacuation zone, Orange County Health Officer Regina Chinsio-Kwong said.
The information from the county health officer came in an update from the Orange County Fire Authority on Saturday afternoon. Officials also displayed a map that shows the blast zone if the tank fails and there is an explosion, as well as where the most severe damage of infrastructure is expected.
The USA TODAY Network has reached out to officials to receive copies of the maps.
Officials clarified Saturday that the evacuation area was divided into a handful of zones, including three circular "blast zones" closest to the plant, with likely severe, moderate and light damage in the event of an explosion.
Beyond that, three other zones were identified: areas of flammability where fire or flash fire could occur, areas that were "immediately dangerous to life and health, where it would cause injury if anybody inhales or is impacted by the product in question," according to Nick Freeman, division chief with the OCFA, and a large "non-hazardous zone" where people could still smell odors from a leak.
Contributing: City News Service
GKN Aerospace issues statement
GKN Aerospace posted the following statement on its website Saturday:
"There is a serious and evolving situation regarding a thermal issue in a chemical storage tank at our Garden Grove site in California. The situation remains ongoing and we are fully focused on working with emergency services, specialized hazardous material teams and the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the local community, our employees and everyone else involved. We sincerely apologize for the significant disruption to the many local residents and businesses who have had to be evacuated. We are working tirelessly with all relevant experts to resolve this situation as safely as possible and in a timely manner and are deeply grateful for the continued skill and dedication of the Orange County emergency services.''
Contributing: City News Service
Newsom issues state of emergency in Orange County
Paris Barraza
Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County due to the ongoing chemical incident that’s led to 40,000 people being evacuated on Saturday, May 23.
The proclamation directs state government agencies to support the county and local jurisdictions to address the emergency. It also “unlocks additional emergency response resources and authorities, including making state-owned properties and fairgrounds available to provide shelter for evacuated residents, as necessary,” according to Newsom’s office.
State of emergency proclamations have been issued amid major fires and storms in California.
'Letting this thing just fail' is 'unacceptable': Tank update
Paris Barraza
More details are emerging about the temperature of the tank and the chemical inside of it in an update before 11 a.m. Saturday.
Incident Commander Craig Covey said he previously reported on Friday that the tanks were stable “and we were keeping the temperature cool and actually, we thought we were reducing it a little bit.” But the temperature readings were applicable to the “vessel” and not the “interior temperatures inside,” Covey said.
However, in another mitigation attempt, crews last night were able to see the gauge that can’t be seen from a distance or by drone to see the internal temperature, according to Covey.
The temperature was 90 degrees, up from 77 degrees on Friday morning. Covey said it’s been averaging an increase of a degree an hour.
“One of the concepts we’re thinking about is because of the heavy deluge of water and cooling it, we’re allowing it to cure at a slower rate and reducing its over pressure building,” Covey said.
As the chemical cures, it builds up pressure, but officials are hoping for a possibility in which the tank has the capacity to absorb a slower rate of cure and “not over pressure and blow up,” according to Covey.
“Letting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable to us,” Covey said, adding that their goal is to not let it “damage our community” and “our environment.”
Officials are also working on response plans should there be a spill or explosion, Covey said. In the event of a spill, officials are working to divert the liquid to a spot that can be a “holding area.”
See Orange County evacuation map
Paris Barraza
'Huge brainstorming effort' underway to contain incident
Paris Barraza
Roughly 40,000 people have been evacuated due to the incident, said Steve Concialdi, Orange County Fire Authority captain.
The tank in turmoil, which has roughly 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, remains unsafe, Concialdi said.
Officials have reached out to experts nationwide, including with the Environmental Protection Agency, hazmat experts and more to determine the best way to contain the incident, according to Concialdi. According to Concialdi, there is a “huge brainstorming effort” underway with experts nationwide when asked about what officials dealing with this incident were working on in the morning of May 23.
One “best case scenario” would be for the chemical to cool down so a neutralizing chemical could be added to it, or so that officials could offload it safely. While a “great deal” of water and a sprinkler system are being used to keep the tanks cool — officials said on May 22 that there are three tanks involved in the incident, one of which being the tank holding the roughly 7,000 gallons of the industrial chemical — the concern is the temperature of the chemical inside.
Concialdi said officials have been unable to get a true reading of just how hot that chemical may be within the tank due to safety concerns.
Are Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm open?
Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, popular Southern California theme parks which are in areas adjacent to the evacuation sites, are open early Saturday but officials are monitoring the situation.
Will chemical leak affect voting?
Onsite voting for the June 2 California Primary is underway, however at least one voting station is being used as an emergency shelter and some ballot drop boxes in the Southland are closed in the immediate area.
The Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center, 13641 Deodara Drive, which is being used as an emergency evacuation center until further notice.
Ballot drop boxes in the evacuation zone are also closed. They are located at:
- Stanton Branch Library, 7850 Katella Ave., Stanton,
- Korean Martyrs Catholic Center, 7655 Trask Ave., Westminster, and
- Chapman Sports Park, 11700 Knott Ave., Garden Grove.
Evacuated voters who do not have their vote-by-mail ballot can request a replacement at any of the remaining 38 vote centers that will open Saturday as scheduled. The can also drop off their completed vote-by-mail ballots at the remaining 125 drop boxes.
More information is available at ocvote.gov/voting.
Contributing:City News Service
Orange County evacuation sites
Evacuation centers are located at:
- 13641 Deodara Drive, Garden Grove
- Cypress: 5700 Orange Ave., Cypress
- 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley
- Savanna High School, 301 N. Gilbert St., Anaheim
- Oceanview High School, 17071 Gothard St., Huntington Beach