All evacuations lifted for residents near Garden Grove chemical tank

All evacuations will be lifted for Orange County residents near a Garden Grove tank holding toxic chemicals, according to an announcement from the city's police chief at a community meeting Tuesday evening. About 16,000 people had remained displaced Tuesday, following earlier evacuations affecting nearly 50,000 people.

"I'm happy to report that we are going to be lifting the evacuation in its entirety immediately," said Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra. He said alerts would be sent via official channels.

"Everyone can return to their homes," El-Farra said.

Officials reported Monday morning that an overnight operation was successful in finding a crack in the tank that had reduced pressure and lowered temperatures inside which took the threat of an explosion "off the table."

Still, the backlash to the scare has only just begun. At least seven lawsuits have already been filed against GKN Aerospace, representing about 70 plaintiffs, according to the Orange County Register.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also said his office had launched an investigation into the incident.

Where things stand now

Authorities said that as of Tuesday they had neutralized chemicals in two neighboring tanks, further reducing the risk of a catastrophic chemical explosion. By Tuesday afternoon, authorities turned off the deluge of water on the compromised tank, and temperatures have remained stable, at 91 degrees, since. Authorities will now monitor the tank continuously, and are looking for temperatures to continue to drop.

"With that being checked off and the two tanks being stabilized, we felt very confident that, one, we have no explosion risk, two, there is no fire risk, and three, there is no risk of any leaks or vapors being released into the air," Fire Captain Brian Yau, a spokesperson for Orange County Fire Authority, told LAist.

Officials added that water and air monitors have not detected any exceedances of pollutants around the site.

Evacuation information

The evacuation zone that included nearly 50,000 residents was reduced Monday evening.

The borders included Orangewood Avenue to the north, Dale Street to the east, Knott Street to the west and Garden Grove Boulevard to the south, according to Garden Grove police.

All off and on ramps of the 22 Freeway also reopened.

Dozens of people spoke at a community meeting about the chemical tank in Garden Grove on Tuesday night.

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Erin Stone

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LAist

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Evacuation centers

The American Red Cross had seven open shelters providing food, health services, mental health support and a place to stay day or night, according to spokesperson Brianna Kelly.

“Everyone is welcome at Red Cross shelters,” Kelly told LAist in an email, “and anyone affected by a disaster or emergency can always stop by a shelter to access Red Cross services, whether or not they are staying overnight at the shelter.”

Pets are also welcome, Kelly said, and volunteers will be available to meet one-on-one with people in the shelters to help them transition back to their homes as evacuation orders are lifted.

These were the shelter locations:

• Los Amigos High School, 16566 Newhope St., Fountain Valley
• Golden West College, 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach
• Los Amigos High School, 16566 Newhope St., Fountain Valley
• Savanna High School, 301 N. Gilbert St., Anaheim
• Freedom Hall, 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley
• Ocean View High School, 17071 Gothard St., Huntington Beach
• John F. Kennedy High School, 8281 Walker St., La Palma

More than 1,400 residents have gotten support at the shelters over the course of the disaster, Kelly said, with the assistance of 200 Red Cross responders.

Kevin Nguyen is a Westminster resident who was staying at the Los Amigos High School shelter when he spoke to LAist on Monday.

“I just thought that we were going to have a place to stay and that was good enough for me,” he said, “but they really provided us with food and all that. It was over the top and I really appreciate that.”

Nguyen said he had been at the shelter for three days, and appreciated the chance to connect with his community despite the circumstances. He said he met new friends and was able to help put beds together and translate for Vietnamese-speaking residents.

Schools

Some Orange County schools reopened Tuesday in response to the revised evacuation boundaries, including nine Garden Grove Unified campuses.

For updates:

• Garden Grove Unified School District
• Orange County Department of Education

Closures

• The O.C. registrar of voters closed one early voting location at the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center, as well as three ballot drop box locations in Garden Grove, Westminster and Stanton.

How we got here

On Thursday afternoon, vapor began seeping from storage tanks holding an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacturing at GKN Aerospace's facility, which is about a mile north of the 22 Freeway in Garden Grove.

Evacuation orders were issued but later lifted after officials thought the situation was under control. But on Friday morning, evacuation orders were reissued and expanded because hazmat teams were unable to secure the largest tank, officials said.

Hazmat crews used sensors on the ground to monitor for chemical leaks and drone flights to watch the temperature of the tank’s outside surface. Firefighters also approached the tanks to read gauges that show the internal temperature of the tanks.

Officials said Friday it was almost certain the tank would either explode or crack and spill out toxins into the surrounding area.

Nearly 50,000 residents in Garden Grove and surrounding Orange County cities were ordered to evacuate Friday as the tank’s temperature rose.

Craig Covey, division chief with Orange County Fire Authority, said barriers had been placed around the tank to try to contain the chemical in case of a spill, and to keep it from flowing into storm drains and the ocean.

Covey said aid is coming from across the country as officials try to develop contingency plans and protect nearby neighborhoods and waterways in case the tank fails.

At least nine local and federal agencies have been involved in the response.
 
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday and the Orange County District Attorney's office has launched an investigation into the incident, involving GKN Aerospace.

What's in the tank

Local authorities said the tank contains around 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, known as MMA, which safety officials say is highly flammable and toxic.

Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Orange County's chief health officer, said the substance can cause skin and eye irritation and respiratory illness. She said there are few case studies of the effects of exposure to the chemical on humans.

"This is where we really need everybody to heed all of the evacuation orders," she said. "We don’t know the long-term consequences."

About the leak

A specialized team was assembled to access the tank Saturday night and found a crack, McGovern said Sunday.

The leak allowed pressure to bleed off from the tank, according to local authorities, but did not spread toxic vapors into the area.

Chris Myers, a federal on-scene coordinator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told reporters Monday the agency had been monitoring the air “around the clock” and found no air safety issues.

“There was no contamination,” said Chinsio-Kwong. “There were no fumes. There were no vapors that came from this incident.”

Covey said the OCFA has been testing the millions of gallons of water running off from the tanks from efforts to cool them, and the water has been “100 percent clean” over the entire incident.

The company's response

The tanks are owned by GKN Aerospace, which manufactures windows and canopies for military and civilian aircraft at the facility. In a statement, a spokesperson for the company wrote:

How to stay updated

• Orange County Fire Authority on X or Facebook
• County public information hotline: (714) 628-7085 
• City of Garden Grove, emergency line: (714) 741-5444
• OCFA Medical Information Hotline: (714) 538-2501

LAist reporter Destiny Torres contributed reporting.