GARDEN GROVE (CNS) – All evacuation orders prompted by a compromised chemical storage tank at a Garden Grove aerospace facility were lifted and Wednesday thousands of residents have safely returned to their homes.
Unified Incident Commander Craig Covey and Garden Grove Police Department Chief Amir El-Farra broke the good news to residents at a special meeting of the Garden Grove City Council on the emergency Tuesday night.
“I’m happy to report the lifting of evacuations in its entirety immediately,” El-Farra said. “Everyone can return to their homes. Thank you for your understanding and patience.”
Roughly 16,000 people remained under evacuation orders Tuesday due to continued concerns about the storage tank at the Garden Grove aerospace facility.
Before announcing the lifting of the evacuation orders, Covey told residents at the council meeting Tuesday evening that authorities were in a more “offensive” mode now. The temperature in the tank was “stable today, it actually dropped down to 90 degrees.”
Covey later said that after the continuous water spray on the tank was turned off the temperature remained stable for a few hours.
Authorities will “drop it down to a 300-foot zone” around the tanks to keep working on them, Covey said. Western Avenue will remain closed for emergency vehicles, he added.
Multiple residents called on the City Council to crack down on GKN Aerospace, questioning why a company handling such chemicals could be operating as close as it is to homes, schools and businesses.
Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein told residents, “There must be accountability. GKN must be held accountable.”
Authorities were able to remove about 4,000 gallons of the chemical from one tank and treated it. He estimated about 11,000 gallons were left to be treated.
Evacuation orders for about 34,000 people were lifted over the weekend when officials determined that a crack in the main storage tank had relieved pressure inside, eliminating the risk of a possible explosion that had prompted the large-scale evacuations.
A county health department official said residents should feel safe as they return home because there was no leak and no contamination.
The initial evacuation zone had stretched north of Trask Avenue, south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street and west of Dale Street, and included the entire city of Stanton, along with parts of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Westminster, Buena Park and Cypress.
Authorities first responded to GKN Aerospace, a global supplier of vehicle and aircraft components that manufactures acrylic plastics, at 3:22 p.m. Thursday after the tank began venting vapors and triggered a sprinkler system designed to spray water on it to cool the material inside.
Officials feared that further instability in the 34,000-gallon tank — which contains about 7,000 gallons of the chemical — could have set off an explosion in two adjacent tanks at the facility, one holding 15,000 gallons and one that contains 4,500 gallons.
The plant is located at 12122 Western Ave.
GKN Aerospace posted an updated statement Tuesday following news that the explosion threat had dissipated and some evacuations were lifted.
“On May 25, local officials announced … that based on data and consultation with experts, the mandatory evacuation area has been reduced by 65%, effective immediately. Officials reported that there have been no leaks or contamination, and that residents outside of the mandatory evacuation area can return to their homes.
“We are continuing to work around the clock with the OCFA, the EPA and all relevant federal, state and local agencies. We remain extremely thankful for their dedication and hard work and will continue working alongside them and community partners as recovery efforts move forward.
“We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing and our priority remains the safety of our neighbors and our community. We request that all those affected follow instructions issued by local authorities and emergency personnel at this time.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Saturday, and requested a federal emergency declaration from President Donald Trump one day later. Trump signed the order Monday, according to Newsom and other local officials.
The governor’s office said a declaration from the Trump administration permits federal cost-sharing support for urgent actions such as evacuations, sheltering and emergency medical support, access to public assistance to help pay for overtime, equipment and other emergency actions, and the ability for FEMA to provide additional direct federal assistance, such as personnel, specialized equipment and technical support.
It differs from a major disaster declaration, which is typically approved only after significant damage has occurred.
Newsom’s office announced that nearly 800 state and local first responders and emergency personnel were supporting public safety, evacuations, traffic management, sheltering operations, environmental monitoring and community assistance efforts.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced Saturday afternoon that it has established an anonymous tipline and online reporting form to gather information regarding the incident.
“Anyone with information related to the circumstances leading up to this incident, including but not limited to specific details of the release, information about the industrial operations of the facility, the quality and frequency of maintenance of the tanks and systems at issue, and any other relevant information at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, is encouraged to call the Orange County District Attorney Anonymous Tip Hotline at 714-347-8714 or fill out an anonymous online form at www.ocdistrictattorney.gov,” the office stated.
Multiple schools in the Garden Grove, Magnolia, Savanna, Westminster and Cypress school districts were closed until further notice.
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