Chemical tank ‘on the edge’ of exploding in California as crews try to avert disaster
GARDEN GROVE, CA - Firefighters have been working through the weekend to cool a chemical tank “literally on the edge” of exploding in Southern California as they worked to avert a disastrous “worst-case” scenario, the incident’s commander said. The 7,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, a toxic chemical used to manufacture resins and plastics, could also then set off an explosion in a 15,000-gallon tank nearby that holds the same substance, Chief Craig Covey, the Orange County Fire Authority incident commander, told NBC News on Saturday. “We’re talking about possibly one of the worst chemical incidents in California history,” he said. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday declared a state of emergency in Orange County and directed his Office of Emergency Services and other state agencies to support affected residents. The problems that have prompted officials to evacuate tens of thousands of people from Garden Grove, California, and from parts of neighboring cities include loss of valve control and rising…
24 May 00:00 · Inlandnewstoday