Firefighters Still Working to Cool Garden Grove Chemical Tank
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- An industrial tank containing about 7,000 gallons of highly flammable and toxic methyl methacrylate remains at risk of explosion or rupture in Garden Grove, Southern California, for the fourth day, prompting evacuations of tens of thousands of residents.
- The tank, located at a GKN Aerospace plant, became increasingly pressurized and released gas that could trigger an explosion, leading firefighters to continuously cool it with water.
- Efforts to inject a neutralizing agent to stabilize the chemical failed due to a malfunctioning valve, complicating containment efforts.
- Orange County Fire Authority's interim chief described the situation as unprecedented due to the extreme volatility of the chemical involved.
- Methyl methacrylate is commonly used in manufacturing resins and acrylic plastics, including plexiglass.