{"id":39101,"date":"2026-05-25T02:12:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T02:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/?p=39101"},"modified":"2026-05-25T02:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T02:12:10","slug":"potential-crack-on-california-toxic-chemical-tank-could-be-easing-pressure-as-officials-race-to-prevent-explosion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/?p=39101","title":{"rendered":"Potential crack on California toxic chemical tank could be easing pressure as officials race to prevent explosion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-be43d9\" class=\"body-graf\">LA PALMA, Calif. <strong>\u2014<\/strong>\u00a0A potential crack may be releasing pressure inside a toxic chemical tank in Southern California, officials said Sunday, a development they hope could help avert a devastating vapor explosion.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free    <\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-404f55\" class=\"body-graf\">The possible crack was identified during a visual inspection of the 7,000-gallon tank Saturday night at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, interim Orange County Fire Chief TJ McGovern said Sunday.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f7ce86\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cWith this new information, it could change our trajectory and our strategy to this event,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OCFireAuthority\/status\/2058605707478593967\" target=\"_blank\">he said<\/a>, noting that teams are vetting and validating the information. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-4621dd\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1556-6ef6f5.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1556-6ef6f5.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1556-6ef6f5.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1556-6ef6f5.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1556-6ef6f5.jpg\" alt=\"Steam and mist rising off of industrial tanks.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Officials spraying water onto the storage tanks at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, Calif. on Sunday.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Kayla Bartkowski \/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-2f751c\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1709\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1557-68914f.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1557-68914f.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1557-68914f.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1557-68914f.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1557-68914f.jpg\" alt=\"A drone photo of an industrial yard surrounded by train tracks.\" height=\"1709\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">A spokesperson said Sunday the company is monitoring the condition of the \u201caffected material\u201d and crews are working \u201caround the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak.\u201d<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Kayla Bartkowski \/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-899b53\" class=\"body-graf\">The tank holds methyl methacrylate, a toxic chemical used to manufacture resins and plastics.<strong> <\/strong>Concerns over a possible explosion or leak have prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents, many of whom are staying in shelters.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-76aa8e\" class=\"body-graf\">McGovern told NBC News that crews are looking to confirm that the crack is releasing pressure in the tank. If it is, it means \u201cthe potential of a BLEVE [boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion] is now off the table.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6a6c50\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThere\u2019s still a potential for explosion,\u201d he said, but not a BLEVE, which he described as \u201cvery, very dangerous, much worse than an explosion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a23d6d\" class=\"body-graf\">If a BLEVE is still possible, the evacuation zone will be much larger, but if that concern is ruled out, the evacuation zone can be smaller and crews would then focus on cooling the tank, he said. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-1ada1c\" class=\"body-graf\">McGovern added that air monitoring has shown the possible fissure has not led to the release of toxic air.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-58afa1\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1559-0cb4a9.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1559-0cb4a9.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1559-0cb4a9.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1559-0cb4a9.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1559-0cb4a9.jpg\" alt=\"Two red fire trucks parked in the middle of a street.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Officials are concerned the tank at GKN Aerospace could rupture and release toxic material into waterways and vapors into the air.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Kayla Bartkowski \/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-dbf535\" class=\"body-graf\">A spokesperson for GKN Aerospace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gknaerospace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said Sunday<\/a> that the company is monitoring the condition of the \u201caffected material\u201d and that crews are working \u201caround the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c8e9a4\" class=\"body-graf\">If the tank explodes, it could also set off a blast in a nearby 15,000-gallon tank and a 4,500-gallon tank that also hold methyl methacrylate, Division Chief Craig Covey, the Orange County fire incident commander, told NBC News on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a5585f\" class=\"body-graf\">Officials are also concerned the tank could rupture and release toxic material into waterways. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-681fb7\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cWe\u2019re talking about possibly one of the worst chemical incidents in California history,\u201d Covey said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7cf3b2\" class=\"body-graf\">Officials say the blast radius, which stretches up to half a mile, would cause severe structural damage and most likely disperse toxic vapors into the air. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-ab2f1c\" class=\"body-graf\">Shelters in Orange County are filling up with frantic locals as 50,000 people are under evacuation orders. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-93a0dd\" class=\"body-graf\">Lydia Green, who lives in Anaheim, about a mile from the facility, is one of them.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-8011a0\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cI\u2019m feeling nervous, scared, devastated,\u201d Green told NBC News on Sunday at a shelter at John F. Kennedy High School in nearby La Palma. \u201cI\u2019ve been without my medication, my basic needs \u2014 food, hotels, we haven\u2019t had a hotel. It\u2019s been very hard.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-5fea72\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1558-e410e3.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1558-e410e3.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1558-e410e3.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1558-e410e3.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1558-e410e3.jpg\" alt=\"An eight lane highway devoid of any traffic in California, seen from the air.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Empty streets in Garden Grove, Calif., on Sunday. Shelters in Orange County are filling up with frantic locals as 50,000 people are under evacuation orders.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Ethan Swope \/ AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-a792a3\" class=\"body-graf\">She and her partner, Eugene Smith, had been sleeping in their car. Smith described the ordeal as \u201clike living in a nightmare,\u201d and he fears a devastating explosion and its aftermath. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-dbe7a4\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cBlowing up and then contaminating everything. Everything. That\u2019s where we live at. That\u2019s our home,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-911330\" class=\"body-graf\">Jaden Gebeleinis was also at the shelter and said he was nervous, as he lives in the border of the evacuation zone.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c108b0\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of anger. &#8230; I feel like why there are these facilities right next to a bunch of houses? And it makes me upset, too,\u201d he said. \u201cYou hope that it gets managed well and then the worst-case scenario doesn\u2019t happen, because those are people\u2019s houses, and it\u2019s probably going to affect a lot bigger of a radius than they let on.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-2943fa\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1628-cc1132.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1628-cc1132.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1628-cc1132.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1628-cc1132.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260524-garden-grove-calif-ww-1628-cc1132.jpg\" alt=\"People stand in a line in a gymnasium.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Evacuees at a temporary shelter in Garden Grove on Friday. <\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Blake Fagan \/ AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-c685d1\" class=\"body-graf\">The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.redcross.org\/local\/california\/southern-california\/about-us\/news-and-events\/news\/red-cross-hazmat-response-updates.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo8QnOKRidsCeXe4i960PCSZlJ14QQ64xA7Kka2ZuyQ0jSjmVnc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> American Red Cross<\/a> said Sunday that six shelters scattered around the region for evacuees are nearing or at capacity for overnight stays. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-0c40a3\" class=\"body-graf\">McGovern said there\u2019s no timeline just yet for when residents may be able to return home. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-284b4e\" class=\"body-graf\">Concern first bubbled up Thursday with a \u201cvapor release\u201d at the 7,000-gallon tank, Orange County fire officials said. Further investigation found that the tank\u2019s temperatures were rising.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-5105a3\" class=\"body-graf\">Firefighters have been using sprinklers and hose lines to cool the tank. McGovern said that during a team operation Saturday night, crews saw that the pin on the temperature gauge was displaying 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest level it shows, meaning actual temperatures in the tank could be higher. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-94aa25\" class=\"body-graf\">Garden Grove is in northern Orange County, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 4 miles from Disneyland in Anaheim. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c3eb2f\" class=\"body-graf\">Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday. On Sunday, he requested that President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CAgovernor\/status\/2058648353689485681\">issue an emergency declaration<\/a> to support response operations in the county.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-da33fd\" class=\"body-graf\">McGovern said officials are working collaboratively and using \u201coutside-the-box thinking\u201d to come up with a solution and get families back in their homes.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-550343\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cWe have to get them back,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I will assure you we will not get them back until it\u2019s safe to do so.\u201d <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-126c97\" class=\"endmark body-graf\"><em>Steve Patterson and Shanshan Dong reported from La Palma and Marlene Lenthang from Los Angeles.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/crack-california-toxic-chemical-tank-easing-pressure-explosion-rcna346750\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LA PALMA, Calif. \u2014\u00a0A potential crack may be releasing pressure inside a toxic chemical tank in Southern California, officials said Sunday, a development they hope could help avert a devastating vapor explosion. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The possible crack was identified during a visual [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-conditions"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39101"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39103,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39101\/revisions\/39103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/39102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}