Industry knew about chemical 'runaway' dangers for years. Then came near-catastrophe in O.C.

Key Points:

• A thermal runaway reaction at a Garden Grove aerospace firm in Orange County involving 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate (MMA) forced the evacuation of 50,000 people due to the risk of a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE).
• The incident was triggered by the suspected failure of the cooling system for a pressurized chemical tank, causing the highly reactive MMA to heat up and start a chain reaction that could have led to a catastrophic explosion or toxic chemical release.
• Firefighters managed to avert disaster by spraying cool water on the tank to stabilize the chemical, and despite a crack in the tank, the temperature was brought under control, allowing evacuation orders to be lifted by Tuesday night.
• Experts highlighted that thermal runaway incidents involving chemicals like MMA have caused fatalities globally and criticized the chemical industry's slow progress in improving safety measures despite longstanding warnings.
• Previous similar incidents, such as the 2020 styrene explosion in India and a 2012 acrylic acid fire in Japan, underscore the ongoing risks and the critical need for better management of reactive chemical hazards.