Toxic chemical leak forces 40,000 evacuations in Orange County.

Approximately 40,000 people in Orange County, California, were evacuated urgently after a tank containing methyl methacrylate chemicals posed a risk of explosion.

According to NBC, on May 22, officials in Orange County, California, issued an evacuation order for approximately 40,000 residents after determining that a chemical storage tank at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove posed a risk of explosion.

Orange County officials say they are currently unable to control the valves on the methyl methacrylate storage tank – a toxic chemical used in the production of plastics and flexible materials. Authorities warn the situation could escalate if the tank malfunctions.

“It will either fail completely or explode,” said Craig Covey, field commander with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), at a press conference on May 23.

Water is sprayed onto an overheated tank at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, California. (Source: AP)

According to the Orange County Fire Department, the incident began on May 21st when a tank containing approximately 22,700-26,500 liters of methyl methacrylate at a plastics manufacturing plant for the aerospace industry in Garden Grove overheated, causing toxic fumes to be released into the environment.

By May 22nd, authorities had expanded the evacuation zone from Garden Grove to several residential areas in five neighboring cities of Orange County, including Westminster.

Garden Grove and Westminster are both located in Little Saigon – the area with the largest concentration of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam.

Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said the evacuation zone affected approximately 40,000 residents.

In the video update, Mr. Covey stated that rescue teams had been continuously using a water spraying system to stabilize the temperature of the storage tank, thereby reducing the chemical's reaction and buying time to find a solution.

"Experts across the United States are working together to find unprecedented solutions to prevent the situation from escalating," he said.

"This is an extremely toxic chemical. It is highly flammable and in its current state is highly reactive, potentially causing an explosion," OCFA chief Nick Freeman said at a press conference on the afternoon of May 22.

Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Orange County's chief medical officer, said the emergency was unprecedented and its outcome was difficult to predict.

"This is an exceptional situation. We have no information about any similar incidents that have occurred before. Therefore, we are facing an unprecedented situation and the amount of information available is very limited," she told reporters.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, methyl methacrylate can irritate the lungs and skin, and lead to symptoms such as headaches, coughing, and wheezing. While no official conclusions have been reached, this substance is also believed to potentially increase the risk of colon and rectal cancer.

In a video update Friday afternoon, Ms. Chinsio-Kwong stated that anyone who smells the chemical – described as having a fruity but “strong and heavy” odor – could face health risks. However, no cases of the chemical smell have been reported so far, and local air quality monitoring agencies have not detected methyl methacrylate in the environment.

Khanh Ly (Source: NBC)

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