State Emergency Over Garden Grove Leak

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday, May 23, after a hazardous materials incident at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove forced tens of thousands of residents from their homes. State officials said the order was meant to expand support for Orange County and local agencies as crews worked around a damaged chemical tank that authorities said could either rupture and spill toxic material or explode. The incident began Thursday, May 21, at the aerospace facility on Western Avenue, where firefighters responded to vapor releasing from a large storage tank. By Sunday morning, evacuation orders were still in place and local officials were still warning residents to stay out of the zone. ### Why did the governor issue an emergency declaration? Newsom’s May 23 proclamation directed the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, known as Cal OES, and other state agencies to support Orange County and affected cities. The governor’s office said the declaration unlocked additional emergency authorities and made state-owned properties and fairgrounds available for shelter if needed. Newsom said in the statement that “the safety of Orange County residents is the top priority,” while Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs said the agency was coordinating resources and information for local responders. (gov.ca.gov) The state action followed local evacuations that had already spread across parts of Garden Grove and nearby communities. ABC7 reported that the evacuation zone covered the area north of Trask Avenue, south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street and west of Dale Street, with smaller portions of West Anaheim, Cypress, Buena Park and Stanton also included. Officials said reverse 911 calls and door-to-door warnings were used to push residents out of the area. (gov.ca.gov) ### What exactly is happening at the GKN Aerospace site? GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove facility is the site of a failing storage tank holding methyl methacrylate, a volatile and highly flammable chemical used to make acrylic plastics and other products, according to fire officials and multiple local reports. Orange County Fire Authority officials said the vessel is a 34,000-gallon tank, though the amount of chemical inside it was reported at roughly 7,000 gallons. Authorities said a faulty valve prevented crews from safely off-loading the material or adding stabilizer. (abc7.com) Orange County Fire Authority officials said the emergency began around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, when vapor was reported coming from the tank. NBC Los Angeles and other outlets reported that the initial leak was stopped, but the tank continued overheating, leaving responders with limited options. ABC7 said the tank’s internal temperature had been rising by about one degree per hour since Thursday morning, based on a gauge crews were able to view. (foxla.com) ### How many people have been told to leave? Orange County officials and news reports have put the number of evacuees in a range of roughly 40,000 to 50,000 residents. The governor’s office referred to “tens of thousands” of evacuees, while ABC7 said the crisis had forced 50,000 people out of their homes. Fox Los Angeles reported that about 40,000 residents in Garden Grove, Westminster, Stanton and Anaheim were under mandatory evacuation orders. (foxla.com) School closures and shelter pressure followed quickly. ABC7 listed multiple Garden Grove Unified and Magnolia School District campuses closed until further notice, and NBC Los Angeles reported that one shelter in Fountain Valley had reached capacity as the Red Cross looked for additional sites. The governor’s office said the emergency declaration was intended in part to make more shelter locations available. (gov.ca.gov) ### Why are officials warning about both a spill and an explosion? Craig Covey, an Orange County Fire Authority division chief, said the tank could fail in two ways: it could crack and release the chemical onto the ground, or it could explode. Reporting from NBC Los Angeles, ABC News and Fox Los Angeles said the tank was in thermal runaway or at risk of reaching that condition, meaning the chemical inside was generating heat faster than crews could safely control it. (abc7.com) Methyl methacrylate is hazardous because it is both flammable and capable of producing irritating vapors. NBC Los Angeles reported that the substance can irritate the skin, eyes and nose in humans. KTLA and Fox Los Angeles described it as a volatile liquid used in plastics manufacturing, which is why authorities treated the incident as both a toxic exposure threat and a blast risk. (sfgate.com) ### Where are officials sending residents for updates and help? Cal OES on May 22 posted a community resource page for the Garden Grove hazmat incident with evacuation information, links and phone numbers for affected residents. The City of Garden Grove’s emergency page told residents to avoid the area, follow evacuation orders and road closures, and monitor official city and public safety channels. The governor’s office also directed residents to the city’s evacuation map and Cal OES resources for updated information. (nbclosangeles.com) As of Sunday, May 24, local responders were still consulting experts and preparing for the possibility that the tank would fail. ABC7 said no injuries had been reported so far, and officials were continuing to monitor the tank’s temperature while maintaining the evacuation zone. The next public updates were expected through Orange County fire officials, Garden Grove city channels and the Cal OES resource page tied to the emergency response. (abc7.com) (news.caloes.ca.gov)