Authorities reported that the risk of a catastrophic explosion at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove was largely eliminated after six days. A large evacuation zone was lifted and tens of thousands of residents were allowed to return. Firefighters sprayed more than 9 million gallons of water to cool a piping-hot tank containing flammable methyl methacrylate. High temperatures created high pressure and cracked the tank, which functioned like a relief valve. Health officials and fire officials said there were no vapors or chemical leaks. The EPA reported that air monitors detected no methyl methacrylate or other volatile organic compounds. Environmental experts questioned whether toxic substances could have been released despite the lack of detected airborne chemicals.
"After six days of trying to avoid an overheating chemical tank erupting into a giant fireball or spilling thousands of gallons of toxic substances at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove, Orange County leaders announced Tuesday that the risk of catastrophic explosion had largely been eliminated. Local authorities lifted a large section of the evacuation zone surrounding GKN Aerospace and allowed tens of thousands of residents to return."
"Firefighters sprayed more than 9 million gallons of water onto a piping-hot tank of flammable methyl methacrylate (MMA), drastically bringing down the vessel's temperature - but not before the high temperatures resulted in high pressure and a crack in the side of the tank, which acted as a relief valve. The Orange County health officer and fire officials have insisted there were no vapors or chemical leaks."
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said its air monitors surrounding the facility have not detected methyl methacrylate or other toxic airborne chemicals (known as volatile organic compounds). But environmental experts remained skeptical that no toxic substances had been released. Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University professor who studies environmental disasters, said the ruptured chemical tank would've acted similar to punching a hole in a soda can."
""I find it hard to believe you can heat up a tank with a [chemical] like methyl methacrylate, see that it clearly cracked under pressure and think that nothing came out it," Whelton said. "That defies logic." It's possible, Whelton said, that spraying copious amounts of water on the tank has effectively suppressed much of the toxic vapors and the airborne risk."
#chemical-incident #firefighting-and-cooling #methyl-methacrylate-mma #air-monitoring-and-volatile-organic-compounds #evacuation-and-public-safety
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