California Chemical Tank Emergency Stabilized, Explosion Risk Recedes

The failing chemical tank in Southern California that prompted mass evacuations is no longer at risk of explosion, officials said, according to Julia Jacobo reporting for ABC News.

A tank overheating incident prompted evacuations at GKN Aerospace's Garden Grove chemical plant. (Photo: GKN Aerospace Facebook)

Authorities said temperatures inside the tank at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, have begun to decline, reducing concerns of a potential Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE).

“We are happy to report that the threat of a BLEVE is now off the table,” Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Interim Chief TJ McGovern said during a recent update.

“That threat has been eliminated.”

However, evacuation orders remain in place. “We want to be clear that the evacuation zones are still in effect,” OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey said.

The tank, located at GKN Aerospace, contained methyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacturing. The substance can cause respiratory irritation and skin and eye discomfort upon exposure, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.