Thousands of people in southern California still can’t return to their homes, even as officials say the risk of a “catastrophic” explosion at a chemical take near Los Angeles has been all but eliminated.
About 16,000 people are still under evacuation orders around the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. That’s down from more than 50,000 people under evacuation orders as officials say the “worst-case scenario” has been mitigated.
They say they will assess the situation again Tuesday after efforts to cool an overheated chemical tank continued overnight Monday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced on Monday that President Donald Trump signed an emergency declaration to expand federal support for the area.
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What happened
The situation started last Thursday, May 21, when the liquid in a chemical tank at GKN started to overheat due to an issue with a valve in its refrigeration system.
The tank holds about 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, which is used to make plastics and can cause health problems upon exposure.
Firefighters discovered a crack in the tank on Saturday that helped relieve some of the pressure within. Officials say the crack is not likely to cause any chemical leaks, but they’re still monitoring the nearby air quality.
On Monday, officials said the biggest risk — a potential “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion” — had been averted.
“The most catastrophic and worst-case scenario was mitigated and resolved,” interim Orange County Fire Chief TJ McGovern said at a news conference on Monday.
However, authorities say a smaller explosion or a toxic release remain possible concerns.
Criminal investigation
Meanwhile, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has opened a criminal investigation to determine how the failure happened at the facility. He has ordered the company not to destroy or manipulate any records.
Spitzer launched an anonymous tip line to report information about the incident or what led to it.
“Given the very real risk to human life as a result of this event, it is crucial that anyone who has information about this incident or the industrial operations of GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, Inc. come forward and report it so that it can be thoroughly investigated by law enforcement,” Spitzer said.
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