40,000 people under evacuation orders for a chemical tank leak in Southern California
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- A storage tank containing 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate at an aerospace plastics facility in Garden Grove, Southern California, overheated and began leaking hazardous vapors, prompting evacuation orders for about 40,000 residents across six cities in Orange County.
- Authorities are racing to prevent the tank from failing or exploding, with containment measures like sandbag barriers in place to stop chemical spills from reaching storm drains or waterways; no injuries have been reported so far.
- Evacuations affect Garden Grove and parts of Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster, while nearby Disneyland was not evacuated; local officials emphasized the health risks of exposure to the chemical’s vapors, which can cause respiratory and other symptoms.
- Residents expressed shock and concern, particularly within the large Vietnamese community in Garden Grove, with efforts underway to provide multilingual updates and ensure all residents heed evacuation orders for their safety.
- GKN Aerospace, the company operating the facility, confirmed that hazardous material teams are managing the situation and prioritized safety for employees, responders, and the community while providing ongoing updates.