Orange County Declares Emergency After Chemical Leak at Aerospace Facility

(MENAFN) California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday as emergency crews continued efforts to stabilize a tank containing hazardous industrial chemicals at an aerospace manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, according to reports.

Newsom said protecting residents remained the state’s highest priority and stated that California was deploying all available resources to assist emergency responders and nearby communities.

The emergency declaration enables authorities to mobilize additional support and strengthen coordination between local, state, and federal agencies handling the incident at the GKN Aerospace plant.

Officials said the facility contains a tank filled with methyl methacrylate (MMA), a highly flammable chemical commonly used in aerospace manufacturing, which has remained unstable for several days following an earlier leak.

Authorities warned that temperatures inside the damaged tank have continued to rise, climbing to around 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.22 Celsius) on Saturday from 77 degrees (25 Celsius) the previous day.

Emergency officials cautioned that excessive heat could increase pressure inside the container and threaten its structural integrity. They warned that a catastrophic failure could lead to a major chemical spill or a powerful explosion capable of affecting nearby industrial storage tanks and releasing large quantities of hazardous substances.

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