California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on May 23 because a chemical storage tank is at risk of exploding or spilling thousands of gallons of toxic material.
“The safety of Orange County residents is the top priority. We are mobilizing every state resource available to support local responders and make sure the community has what they need to stay safe,” Newsom said.
The malfunctioning tank holds approximately 5,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a flammable and volatile chemical used in plastics manufacturing for aerospace applications.
The tank, located at a manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, first started displaying signs of instability on Thursday. On Friday, there were increased fears of an explosion, according to Orange County Fire Authority interim Chief TJ McGovern….