LOS ANGELES, May 22 (Xinhua) -- About 40,000 residents in Southern California were under evacuation orders on Friday after a leaking tank of volatile industrial chemical at an aerospace manufacturing facility sparked fears of a major explosion or toxic spill, according to local authorities.
Authorities said the leak began Thursday afternoon at a facility in Garden Grove, a city in Orange County, where an overheated storage tank holding methyl methacrylate -- a flammable chemical used in the production of acrylic plastics -- began venting hazardous vapors.
Officials said the facility operated by GKN Aerospace contains three storage tanks in total, with one suffering a cooling system failure. Emergency crews initially believed they had stabilized the situation overnight, but worsening conditions on Friday prompted authorities to expand evacuation orders, forcing school closures and emergency responses across multiple cities.
Residents in Garden Grove and nearby communities were affected by the evacuation directives as emergency crews warned the compromised tank could either rupture and spill thousands of gallons of chemicals or explode.
"This thing is going to fail, and we don't know when," Orange County Fire Authority Chief Craig Covey said during a public briefing.
No injuries or deaths have been reported.
Methyl methacrylate, commonly known as MMA, is used in producing acrylic plastics and aerospace components. Though not considered a "forever chemical," MMA is a toxic, flammable chemical that health officials say exposure to it can irritate airways and cause dizziness, nausea and respiratory distress. Severe exposure may require hospitalization, especially for people with pre-existing respiratory health issues.
"My niece has asthma and evacuated as fast as she could," Amy Anton, in her 40s, told Xinhua, referring to a family member who lives in Anaheim. "You can't take chances with something that dangerous. But we have no idea how long it will take for them to clean it up and make it safe for her to go home."
Officials estimated that roughly 40,000 people in Garden Grove and parts of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Stanton and Westminster were affected by evacuation orders.
Emergency responders established containment measures, including sandbag barriers designed to prevent chemical runoff from entering storm drains or nearby waterways in the event of a tank rupture.
Containment efforts included continuous cooling of the 34,000-gallon storage tank using water streams and existing sprinkler systems to lower temperatures and reduce the risk of thermal runaway, a chain reaction that can cause explosions. Crews also began preparing to transfer chemicals from the damaged vessel if conditions allowed.
Authorities said preventing either a spill or an explosion remained their top priority.
Environmental agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and South Coast Air Quality Management District, deployed monitoring equipment around the facility to detect airborne contaminants and assess whether toxic plumes were spreading beyond evacuation zones. Officials said no widespread dangerous air-quality readings had been confirmed as of Friday afternoon, though monitoring remained ongoing.
The emergency disrupted daily life across western Orange County. Multiple campuses in the Garden Grove Unified School District suspended operations, affecting elementary, intermediate and high schools as well as transportation facilities.
The leak also drew attention from state and federal officials. California Governor Gavin Newsom's office said he had been briefed and that state emergency agencies were coordinating with local responders. Enditem
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