Update on Chemical Tank Incident in Orange County
Authorities have confirmed that the risk of a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) involving a malfunctioning chemical tank in Orange County, California, has been ruled out.
In a recent update, Interim Fire Chief TJ McGovern and Incident Commander Chief Craig Covey announced that a mission conducted overnight allowed them to eliminate the BLEVE threat.
“We are happy to report that the threat of a BLEVE is now off the table. That threat has been eliminated,” McGovern stated.
Earlier, McGovern had indicated that a crack in the tank was discovered during late-night checks. A subsequent update mentioned an all-night effort to confirm that the crack had released pressure, allowing them to assess the situation more clearly.
Since Thursday, the volatile chemical methyl methacrylate (MMA), essential for aerospace production, has been overheating and venting from a 34,000-gallon tank, which currently holds approximately 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of MMA. Evacuation orders went out on Friday, affecting nearly 50,000 residents.
In response, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Orange County as firefighting crews continued to manage the situation.
Evacuation orders impacted six cities: Garden Grove, Stanton, Anaheim, Cypress, Westminster, and Buena Park.
Initially, Covey mentioned that the failing tank had two possible outcomes: an explosion or a leakage that would spill harmful substances.
During a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin commented that while they anticipated the tank may fail, the exact outcome remained uncertain. The worst-case scenario, he said, would involve an explosion affecting other tanks. He indicated that a low-volume release was more likely, which would allow local authorities to monitor and control the threat.
Fire personnel have been focused on keeping the tank’s temperature down, with a critical limit of 85 degrees. On Monday, Covey reported that the temperature was decreasing, currently sitting at 93 degrees, an improvement from 100 degrees earlier.
According to Zeldin, the response currently classifies as an emergency, and any long-term environmental effects will depend on the tank’s outcome.
GKN Aerospace, the plant owner, issued a statement expressing their awareness of the uncertainty caused by the incident and apologizing to the community for the disruption.
“We are acutely aware of the uncertainty this incident is causing and sincerely apologize for the ongoing disruption to the local community,” a spokesperson said.
On Sunday, the OCFA confirmed that there was no active leak, supported by atmospheric monitoring.
As of now, no injuries have been reported related to the tank incident, but McGovern stressed that while the BLEVE threat has been alleviated, evacuation orders remain in effect.
