The head of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said Sunday that a chemical storage tank in Southern California that has forced officials to declare an emergency and prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands residents is likely to fail.
Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the EPA, told CNN's "State of the Union" program on Sunday that the “most likely scenario” is a “low-volume release" of the tank, where officials will be able to “monitor, neutralize, and contain the threat.”
“The Orange County Fire Authority is working to keep the temperature of the tank down. That is very important,” he said on CNN, referring to the fire department in the Southern California county. He said keeping the temperature under 85 degrees F is key.
But he warned: "We're being told that the tank will fail, but there are different scenarios as to what that means, the most catastrophic scenario being an explosion that results in other tanks to explode. That's the reason why you see such a big evacuation that's been done in the surrounding areas."
"You have all levels of government, local, state, federal, working together. EPA has personnel on the ground, air monitors deployed in the local community," Zeldin also said. "We have been involved in the modeling of different scenarios."
Drones were monitoring temperatures at 10-minute intervals to watch for any spikes and planning was underway to ensure a possible leak could quickly be prevented from spreading into waterways or the ocean, Covey said in a video released online.
“Sitting back and allowing these tanks to fail is unacceptable,” Covey said, adding there was no guarantee tanks will not breach and leak. “Our goal is to protect your homes—no damage to them—and protect the environment.”
As of Sunday morning, Zeldin said: "This is an emergency response. This isn’t yet an environmental response, and the scale of that environmental response will be determined based off of what happens when that tank fails."
The damaged tank is located at GKN Aerospace, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft. It holds 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, known as MMA, used to make plastic parts. Since Friday, officials have said the tank could rupture, spilling the chemical, or explode and damage other tanks in the area.
Exposure to methyl methacrylate can cause serious respiratory problems, including lung irritation, health officials said. Higher-level exposure can cause fluid to increase in the lungs, with severe shortness of breath, dizziness, irritability, and problems with concentration and memory.
In some cases, exposure can cause damage to the nervous system including numbness, a pins and needles feeling, and weakness in the feet or hands, officials say.
MMA is also highly flammable, and has been deemed a fire and explosion hazard, authorities also say. Health officials also said the chemical has a distinct odor, with a sharp and fruity smell.
In a statement posted on its website, GKN Aerospace officials said on Saturday that they "sincerely apologize" to residents over the issue and are "working tirelessly" to try and resolve the problem.