An overheated chemical tank in California is still at risk of exploding, officials say
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California officials on Saturday went back to earlier temperature readings at a chemical storage tank that overheated, and said they were back in action trying to prevent it from exploding.
No injuries were reported after a pressurized tank overheated Thursday and began spewing steam in Garden Grove, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Evacuation orders were issued for 40,000 people, and several shelters were opened Friday night, including three high schools.
Garden Grove is about 61 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, which is not under an evacuation order. The city is known for its vibrant Vietnamese community, which is one of the largest cities in America. Local Vietnamese television channels translated updates from officials and urged residents to take the situation seriously.
Orange County Fire Authority Chief Craig Covey said Friday afternoon, after hours of emergency crews spraying water to cool it, the tank and its temperature appeared to be stable. However, he announced on Saturday that this is no longer the case.
“Those temperatures we were doing with the drone, we read on the internet [exterior] … not covering the internal temperatures,” Covey said in a video caption posted on social media.
To get the actual indoor temperature, Covey said officials made the call late Friday “to go back and get upset.”
He said workers initially responded defensively as a precautionary measure, but now responders are participating in more dangerous activities.
“We put people in danger last night,” Covey said, adding that crews who arrived at the tank found the temperature had risen to 90 F (32 C) Friday night, from 77 F (25) that morning.
Covey previously said the main concern is that the tank could fail and crack, releasing the chemical to the ground, or it could explode.
The tank is owned by GKN Aerospace, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft.
The tank holds between 6,000 and 7,000 liters (22,700 and 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate, which is used to make plastic parts.
If the chemical is heated, it can release vapors that are harmful to human health. It can cause breathing problems, itching and burning of the eyes, nausea and headache, said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Orange County health officer.
“Letting this thing fail and blow up is unacceptable to us,” Covey said Saturday, adding that officials are making contingency plans in case of the worst-case scenario, such as building dikes and creating sandbag barriers.
“Our goal is … not to let that happen, not to let it ruin our community, not to let it ruin our neighborhood.”
