Evacuation order lifted for thousands living near dangerous US chemical tank

WorldEnvironment
26 May 2026 • 4:43 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Evacuation order lifted for thousands living near dangerous US chemical tank

  • An evacuation order has been lifted for thousands of residents near a Southern California plant after the immediate threat of a catastrophic explosion from a damaged chemical tank was averted.
  • Emergency officials confirmed a significant drop in temperatures inside the tank, which holds highly flammable methyl methacrylate, and a crucial pressure reduction due to a crack discovered on Sunday.
  • Approximately 34,000 people, roughly two-thirds of those initially evacuated from Garden Grove, can now return to their homes, though a smaller risk of a blast, fire, or spill persists.
  • The incident at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems plant, a British company, led to initial evacuations of around 50,000 residents after the tank overheated.
  • Health officials have reassured returning residents that there was no contamination, fumes, or vapours released during the incident, despite the chemical's potential for serious respiratory and neurological problems.

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