Garden Grove chemical tank update: Cleanup efforts to begin and legal claims mount

Seniors at Kennedy High School in the Anaheim Union High School District missed their graduation ceremony on Friday due to a chemical tank crisis happening at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove.

The district announced the Kennedy High School graduation, which was scheduled for 2 p.m., would be canceled due to the evacuation orders and emergency response happening in Orange County.

Kennedy High School and Handel Stadium are not located within the evacuation zone, but authorities said the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of the safety and well-being of our students, families, staff, and community."

Small portions of West Anaheim and Cypress are included in the evacuation zone impacting 40,000 Orange County residents.

In a later announcement, the district announced the graduation ceremony was rescheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 6 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The district said further details regarding guest entry, parking and more will be shared by Kennedy High School.

The County of Orange Registrar of Voters says the voting center at the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center will not be operating Saturday, until further notice. The facility is serving as a care and shelter site for displaced residents.

"This emergency will not prevent residents from voting," county Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement. "The County of Orange Registrar of Voters moved quickly to protect voters, election workers, and displaced families while keeping voting access open. If you evacuated without your ballot, go to any Vote Center, request a replacement ballot, and cast your vote safely. Public safety comes first, and voter access continues."

The city also announced ballot drop boxes in the evacuation area remain unavailable. Those drop boxes include: Stanton Branch Library, Korean Martyrs Catholic Center and Chapman Sports Park.

Voters displaced by the evacuation may visit any vote center in Orange County to cast their ballot, the county said. Voters who evacuated without their ballot may request a replacement ballot at any vote center.

Small portions of West Anaheim and Cypress are included in the evacuation zone as crews work toward a solution for a chemical tank in crisis at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove.

The evacuation zone covers the area north of Trask Avenue, south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street and west of Dale Street. Approximately 40,000 residents live in the area, according to authorities.

A small part of West Anaheim overlaps in the area of the zone south of Ball Road between Dale Avenue and Fremont Street. A small portion of Cypress is also included in the zone just west of the impacted Anaheim area.

"Firefighters are actively working to cool an overheated tank and are clearing neighborhoods in the extended vicinity as a precaution," the city of Anaheim wrote in a post on social media.

Evacuation centers were established at the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center at 13641 Deodara Dr. in Garden Grove and the Cypress Recreation and Community Center at 5700 Orange Ave. in Cypress.

An Anaheim care and reception area was established at Savanna High School, located at 301. N. Gilbert Street.

The OCFA said crews have been able to maintain the temperature of the tank in crisis, buying them some time to come up with a creative solution.

In an update Friday evening, the Orange County Fire Authority said crews have been able to maintain the temperature of the toxic chemical tank in crisis at GKN Aerospace, buying them some time to come up with a creative solution.

For now, the two options on the table are a tank explosion or a spill of nearly 7,000 gallons of a toxic chemical used to make plastics.

"The positive news is we have been able to keep the tank temperature maintained," OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey said in an update on Friday evening. "The problem one that's in crisis and has been damaged, we've been continuing our water curtain on it, and our active monitoring has shown that the temperature of it has stabilized and is buying us time to continue to sort out: how do we fix this?"

He said the goal is not to let the tank spill or explode, but for now, it's going to require a creative solution. Water has been streamed on the tank for over 24 hours via unmanned hoses and an automatic sprinkler system.

"That was what we were handed: a leaking tank or a tank that blows up," Covey said at a news conference earlier Friday afternoon.

The incident at GKN Aerospace started around 3 p.m. on Thursday when one of the three tanks began releasing vapor.

OCFA helped cool it down, and evacuation orders were lifted. But this morning, officials issued an alarming update, saying a different tank was in crisis and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

While authorities say the tank could spill out or explode, they say the most ideal option would be a spill.

"Once it comes out, it is no longer an explosive hazard, and our hazmat teams in their chemical protective suits can go in, neutralize and mitigate the vapors that will be coming off of that," Covey said.

In the meantime, police have been working to evacuate 40,000 people in the evacuation zone.

"From a law enforcement and fire perspective, our highest priority is your safety and security. So please listen to what we are telling you," said Chief Amir El-Ferra with the Garden Grove Police Department. "We are experiencing about a 15% refusal rate."

The chemical in question is highly toxic and highly flammable, and the short and long-term health risks are serious.

"It can impact respiratory system, cause skin irritation, eye irritation," said OCFA Division Chief Nick Freeman. "The other concern we have is it's extremely flammable, and in its current state, very reactive and can cause that explosion."

OCFA says it is making calls to experts across the country, working to come up with a better solution. Specialists from the Orange County Health Department and the EPA are also working to make sure the established evacuation zone will account for a possible explosion plume.