What we know about the Garden Grove chemical tank threat on Sunday

A chemical storage tank in Garden Grove, threatening to explode or spill, showed no significant changes overnight Saturday into Sunday, May 24, officials said.

“As of now, everything is status quo,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Brian Yau said as officials were meeting around 8 a.m. “Nothing’s changed.”

Experts and emergency crews have been working since Thursday to try to prevent a potentially catastrophic chemical spill or explosion at GKN Aerospace.

The tank is filled with 7,000 gallons of a highly flammable chemical called methyl methacrylate, or MMA. Crews have so far been unable to find a solution to end the threat posed by the tank, whose blast could damage hundreds of homes and buildings in the area and create a toxic plume in the immediate area.

Tracking air quality near the tank

Air quality officials say they have not detected any contaminants in the area of the malfunctioning chemical storage tank in Garden Grove.

Jason Lo, with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said measures found no contaminants near GKN Aerospace at 12122 Western Ave.

“We are happy to report that levels are completely normal in our measurements,” Lo said in a video update posted on X.

Harry Allen, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said 24 air monitors installed in the area also did not detect any contaminants.

Food charity providing assistance

The World Central Kitchen, which brings food relief to disaster areas and war zones, announced that it is arriving in Orange County with food and water.

WCK had not announced details of its efforts as of Sunday morning, including where the food would be distributed.

WCK is reporting on its efforts on X.

Evacuations across Orange County cities

About 50,000 people were affected by evacuation orders in Garden Grove, Stanton, Westminster, Cypress, Buena Park and Anaheim, and some of them posted on social media about suffering financial hits. At least half a dozen law firms pledged to file lawsuits seeking class-action status on behalf of those affected.

As of Saturday evening, six evacuation centers were operating throughout Orange County. However, Freedom Hall at Mile Square Regional Park, Savanna High School and John F. Kennedy High School had reached capacity, according to city officials.

The following evacuation centers are operating:

—Los Amigos High School, 16566 Newhope St., Fountain Valley

—Golden West College: 15744 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach

—Ocean View High School: 17071 Gothard Street, Huntington Beach

—Savanna High School: 301 North Gilbert Street, Anaheim (Full)

—John F. Kennedy High School: 8281 Walker Street, La Palma (Full)

—Freedom Hall: 16801 Euclid St, Fountain Valley (Full)

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday afternoon.

The emergency proclamation by Newsom unlocks additional resources for local officials, and directs state emergency operations officials to focus on supporting local authorities in grappling with the ongoing emergency.

“The safety of Orange County residents is the top priority,” Newsom said in a statement. “We are mobilizing every state resource available to support local responders and make sure the community has what they need to stay safe.”

Potential blast zone made public

Officials released a map on Saturday giving residents their first look at the potential ramifications of the tank’s failure.

If an explosion does occur, the resulting “severe damage blaze zone” would most directly impact a largely industrial and business zone to the west, north and south of the plant, according to an OCFA map.

However, what appears to be around 100 homes is also included in the “severe damage” zone to the east of the plant, along with what appears to be around 100 more residences — and portions of an elementary school campus — in the “moderate damage blast zone.”

OCFA Division Chief Nick Freeman, in a video about the map, explained that “severe damage” zone — the innermost circle of the map — represents areas where they would expect “severe structural damage and significant harm.”

Frustration and outrage grow

Frustrations boiled over Saturday as displaced residents and community leaders awaiting the possible explosion of a chemical storage tank in Garden Grove demanded answers from public officials — and consequences for the company behind the potential disaster.

U.S. Rep. Derek Tran, whose district includes the evacuated area, called for a “deep investigation” into the situation at GKN Aerospace, a manufacturer of parts for commercial and military aircraft.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer opened up a tip line, asking anyone with information on how this crisis developed to come forward. Tipsters were asked to call the OC DA anonymous tip hotline at 714-347-8714, to email prosecutors at tipster@ocdistrictattorney.gov or submit tips online.

Stanton Mayor David John Shawver said his whole city should evacuate, and that he wants the National Guard to patrol the city. The county would have to make that request. Stanton has about 40,000 residents.

How concerned should you be about methyl methacrylate?

MMA is widely used, particularly in the plastics and aerospace industries, so the substance’s toxicity for humans is tracked pretty closely. It is, for now, known to be an irritant, particularly for the lungs and heart. But it is not, at this point, a known carcinogen in humans. That said, the toxicity in the event playing out in Garden Grove could ramp up quite a bit — and become lethal — if people are exposed to enough of the chemical.

If large amounts of MMA are spilled from the vats or released into the air following a fire or explosion, the public could be in danger of illness or powerful irritation, said Michael Kleinman, a professor at UC Irvine who teaches at the Joe C. Wen School of Population and Public Health. The chemical is particularly tough on the human respiratory system and, depending on how much a person inhales, MMA can cause everything from sore throats and cough to dizziness, nausea and, at the highest levels, damage to the nervous system, Kleinman said.

Those most at risk are people who already struggle with respiratory issues, such as asthma, and people who have worked with MMA who have developed allergies to the chemical over time. That means people in some jobs, including plastics and aerospace manufacturing, and working in nail salons, could be primed for a negative reaction if they’re exposed in this event, Kleinman said.

Officials have said that residents and communities outside the evacuation zone are not in danger of exposure.

What you should know about GKN Aerospace

The GKN facility has been operating in Garden Grove since 1993. It is primarily known as a worldwide leading manufacturer of cockpit windshields, jet canopies and aviation windows for civil and military aircraft. The site, which employs 540, even developed a line of special bullet-resistant glass. The company itself is based in the United Kingdom.

GKN paid nearly $1 million to settle numerous environmental violations in 2021, including failing to keep emission records and operating equipment without a permit.

Following an on-site inspection in November 2020, the South Coast Air Quality Management District cited GKN Aerospace in 2021 for failing to maintain required emission records for volatile organic compounds, which are gases emitted from paints, coatings and solvents. The South Coast AQMD is a regional agency responsible for regulating air quality in Southern California.

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