GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KABC) -- There is no longer a threat of explosion, fire or chemical leak for a damaged tank at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, the Orange County Fire Authority announced on Tuesday night.
All evacuation orders were officially lifted at 7:30 p.m., allowing the final 16,000 evacuated Orange County residents to return home. Initially, 50,000 residents were evacuated from their homes last week.
A tank carrying 6,500 gallons of the highly toxic chemical methyl methacrylate (MMA) became unstable last week, causing the tank to heat up uncontrollably. For a few days, officials said the tank would either explode or spill out, and either outcome was inevitable.
Eventually, the tank cracked, allowing the pressure to release and eliminating the threat of a BLEVE, which stands for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion.
Then, crews worked a risky mission to confirm that the pressure had been released and to remove weather insulation from the outside of the tank to help the water be more efficient at cooling the temperature down.
Still, a threat remained for a fire or a small explosion. Firefighters continued to try to get the tank to stabilize and were eventually able to stop dousing it with water. On Tuesday afternoon, crews were seen freely walking around the tank and climbing on top of it.
By Tuesday night, OCFA declared that there was no longer a risk to surrounding residents and all evacuation orders were lifted. No injuries were reported.
The investigation into what caused the material in the tank to overheat is ongoing. Residents have already filed a class action lawsuit against GKN Aerospace.
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Caltrans announced the closure of eastbound and westbound State Route 22 off-ramps to Beach Boulevard, Knott Avenue and Valley View Street. The closures will be in effect until further notice.
GKN Aerospace, the facility at a dangerous chemical leak in Garden Grove, released a statement on Friday evening, saying the safety of employees, responders and the surrounding community is the priority.
In a statement sent to Eyewitness News, a spokesperson for GKN Aerospace said:
"We are currently responding to a situation at our Garden Grove site. Emergency response protocols were activated and Fire Brigade and specialized hazardous material teams remain on site and assessing the situation. There are no reports of injuries at this time and our priority remains the safety of our employees, responders, and the surrounding community. We will provide verified updates as soon as more information becomes available."
GKN Aerospace is a global company with facilities in 12 countries.
GKN Aerospace supplies other companies with various aircraft components, providing those parts to both commercial and military aircraft.
The site in Garden Grove specifically designs military canopies, cockpit windows and passenger windows.
The F-35 canopy is manufactured from the Garden Grove facility. They also manufacture "transparencies," which are the interior glass panels for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the 737, the Airbus A350, HondaJet and the Bombardier CSeries.
The toxic chemical inside the large storage tank that was leaking in Garden Grove is methyl methacrylate, or MMA.
It is a highly volatile and flammable chemical that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is used to make resins and plastics.
Doctors say the chemical can irritate the skin and eyes.
Short-term exposure - such as inhalation - can cause significant irritation of the lungs and nasal passages. It can also lead to nausea and dizziness.
More severe effects are also possible.
"At very high levels, it can really cause severe respiratory distress and hospitalization and this is where we really need everybody to heed all the evacuation orders," said Orange County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong.
As for long-term effects, doctors say it may impact other organs.
The chemical can also affect birds and other animals, though the effects may vary by species.
First responders are also taking into account the potential for a hazardous plume.
Officials said they are actively monitoring air quality and, as of early Friday afternoon, levels were within normal limits.
