Experts trying to prevent a tank holding a highly toxic and flammable chemical from exploding in Southern California found a “potential crack” in the container that might be reducing the pressure, a fire official said on Sunday.
Since Friday, officials have warned that the tank, which contains methyl methacrylate, a chemical used in plastics and manufacturing, could rupture and spill up to 26,500 litres (7,000 gallons) of toxic material or explode and endanger other tanks on the GKN Aerospace site.
The incident began on Thursday at the company’s facility in Garden Grove, California, which makes aircraft windscreens and specialty aerospace plastics among other things, as the chemical began to overheat. Efforts to neutralise the reaction failed due to damage to valves on the tank, fire officials have said.
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Evacuation orders were issued on Friday for an area of Garden Grove, a suburb roughly 48km (30 miles) south of Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of people are covered by the evacuation orders.
TJ McGovern, interim fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, said in a video message posted on social media that a team of specialists on Saturday night found “a potential crack in the tank, which could potentially be relieving some of the pressure in there.”
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Discovering the potential crack was “positive intel”, McGovern said.