The authorities have been working for the last two days to prevent the explosion of the tank, which began to overheat. According to CNN, the tank contains roughly 25 tons of methyl methacrylate, which is a flammable liquid used to make plastics. Evacuation orders were issued on Friday for an area approximately 23 kilometers around the facility, affecting more than 40,000 residents.
Firefighters built protective dams from sandbags to prevent toxic substances from entering sewers, streams or the nearby ocean in the event of a chemical leak from the tank.
According to the commander of the local fire brigade, the temperature of the tank continues to drop. “We are at a temperature of around 61 degrees (Fahrenheit – i.e. 16.1 °C)while 50 (10°C) is her ideal state,” said Craig Covey, according to CNN, adding that the entire team is working day and night to prevent an explosion or leak.
On Friday, the police ordered an evacuation and published information on social networks. Approximately 15 percent of people, about 6,000 inhabitants, refused to leave the evacuation area.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the chemicals can cause severe irritation of the lungs and airways or dizziness and nausea in humans. According to the authorities, the air outside the evacuation zone should be safe.
The industrial area where the reservoir is located is about 8 kilometers from Disneyland and about 6.5 kilometers from the amusement park Knott’s Berry Farm.
