Evacuation orders lifted for final 16K residents near damaged chemical tank in Garden Grove

A community meeting focusing on evacuees and resources is underway at Cal State Fullerton.

About 16,000 people remain under evacuation orders due to the chemical tank crisis in Garden Grove. Many evacuees were allowed to return home on Memorial Day after officials said the risk of a catastrophic explosion was averted. However, there is still a chance of a significantly smaller explosion or spill.

A community meeting focusing on evacuees and resources was held at Cal State Fullerton.

The community meeting runs until about 5:30 p.m. Some of those expected to be available to the public include consumer protection experts. Interim OCFA Fire Chief TJ McGovern was also expected to be there.

At 6 p.m., many will be heading to the Garden Grove City Council meeting where impacted community members are expected to call on the City Council to take action, including shutting down the facility.

Rep. Derek Tran, along with Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla called on President Donald Trump to declare a federal state of emergency, which the president did. Part of that means there is direct federal assistance for Orange County, including for cleanup.

Schiff says he has spoken with the EPA about what it will take to perform cleanup. He also responded to questions about possible criminal charges as a result of the leak.

"There is an investigation going on. I wouldn't be surprised to see an effort to recoup some of the expenses of the cleanup and the evacuation made after the investigation is done," Schiff said.

The Orange County district attorney has launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

In an apparent positive sign, AIR7 video shows no water being actively sprayed on the unstable chemical tank at the center of a multi-day crisis

In an apparent positive sign in Garden Grove, AIR7 video from just after 4 p.m. shows no water being actively sprayed on the unstable chemical tank at the center of a multi-day crisis that triggered evacuations for thousands of Orange County residents.

Earlier Tuesday, Orange County Fire Authority officials said they were working to reduce the amount of water being applied to the tank in an effort to see if it would stabilize on its own.

Using two systems, crews have been applying millions of gallons of water to the tank for five full days, trying to cool the chemical down.

"We're going to shut down one of those two systems, and we're going to monitor the temperature. We're looking for it to stabilize. We don't want it to come up. We're hoping it comes down," Interim OCFA Chief TJ McGovern said earlier Tuesday. "If that looks good throughout the day, then we're going to shut down the second system, and we are going to watch that."

As of 4 p.m., AIR7 video shows no water being applied to the tank. Crews were seen walking around the area and climbing the top of the tank.

OCFA officials said they were hopeful that they could provide an update on the tank and evacuations by Tuesday evening.

We're learning new details on the next steps to gain control of an unstable chemical tank and allow thousands of residents to return home.

We're learning new details on the next steps in the effort to gain control of an unstable chemical tank in Garden Grove.

Approximately 16,000 people remain evacuated due to the situation. The evacuation zone was reduced on Monday, but it still impacts people living closest to GKN Aerospace.

After eliminating the threat of a catastrophic explosion on Monday, Orange County Fire Authority crews have been working to mitigate other existing risks, such as a fire or a small explosion.

They have been slowly reducing the amount of water that they have been applying to the tank in crisis, trying to see if it can stabilize on its own.

Once they get that answer, officials can reevaluate the evacuation zones, which are currently impacting 16,000 people.

"I hope that they [GKN Aerospace] can move out of the neighborhood, because it happened one time, it can happen again," said Stanton resident Arse Garcia, who was allowed to return to his home on Monday evening.

"It was so close, and what could've happened, it's a big concern. They shouldn't be here. I know they were probably here first, but now we're populated," Stanton resident Joe Balon said.

Using two systems, crews have been applying millions of gallons of water to the tank in an effort to cool the chemical down.

"We're going to shut down one of those two systems, and we're going to monitor the temperature. We're looking for it to stabilize. We don't want it to come up. We're hoping it comes down," said Interim OCFA Chief TJ McGovern. "If that looks good throughout the day, then we're going to shut down the second system, and we are going to watch that."

Their next priority is investigating a possible leak. Officials believe the chemical, methyl methacrylate (MMA), is solidifying, but they won't know by how much until they can get inside the tank.

"We gotta get the fire problem handled first, stabilize that temperature, and then the team will make that determination -- now, how do we get inside?" McGovern said.

Those risks are why there are still thousands of residents under evacuation orders. For evacuated residents, their costs continue to climb.

Garden Grove's mayor says impacted residents should save their receipts.

"We're a working-class community. People work extremely hard, but if you're paycheck to paycheck, this was crippling for you. And so I absolutely want them to hold on to everything, and I'll do everything I can to see some cost recovery through, and those conversations are also ongoing," Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said.

McGovern says he hopes to get a report back by Tuesday evening, letting him know if the tank was able to stabilize on its own. Until then, they are in a holding pattern, waiting to know for certain if it is safe to let people return to their homes.

Amid rising concerns over whether facilities handling potentially dangerous chemicals are operating near residential neighborhoods, online federal tools can help you learn the enforcement and compliance history of such sites in your area.

The Environmental Protection Agency's compliance website allows you to enter your ZIP code and view a map of all facilities monitored by the agency. Each location includes detailed information on chemical releases, hazardous waste shipments and any violations.

As concerns rise about whether facilities handling potentially dangerous chemicals are operating near residential neighborhoods, online federal tools can help you learn what's in your area.

In Garden Grove, the database shows that in 2024 alone, more than 131,000 pounds of the chemical methyl methacrylate were released or transferred out of the GKN Aerospace facility. Records also show the facility ships out large amounts of hazardous waste in most years and had violations related to generators in 2024. Later that year, those violations were corrected according to the EPA website.

Documents obtained by 7 On Your Side Investigates from the South Coast Air Quality Management District show GKN agreed to pay the state $909,935.95 for a series of violations in 2021. Those violations included using coatings containing toxic air contaminants, not maintaining records, and not obtaining certain permits.

7 On Your Side Investigates sent GKN a series of questions, including whether the company will pay for the emergency response tied to the current incident and whether it plans to continue processing methyl methacrylate at the Garden Grove site.

The company responded with a previously released statement that says in part: "We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing, and our priority remains the safety of our neighbors and our community."