If the faulty chemical tank in Orange County explodes, the aerospace plant where it is located and dozens of homes around it could be severely damaged, according to a map released by authorities on Saturday.
Areas within approximately 1,100 feet of the tank would suffer severe damage; and beyond that, areas within about 0.3 miles, moderate damage; and beyond that, areas within about 0.4 miles, minor damage from the explosion.
Officials have emphasized that they are working to prevent an explosion and are trying to keep the chemical inside the damaged tank at the aerospace facility as cool as possible. They said they have received help from experts nationwide to come up with alternative plans. However, nothing specific has been mentioned.
Areas within the severe blast zone represent “areas where we can expect severe structural damage and significant damage,” said Nick Freeman, division chief of the Orange County Fire Authority. There are dozens of homes in that area in a neighborhood in the city of Stanton, including along Santa Rosalia Street, south of Laurelton Avenue and north of Lampson Avenue.
In the moderate blast zone, “we would again expect structural damage and harm to those within that zone,” Freeman said.
The area of minor damage includes Wakeham Elementary School and a Home Depot on the corner of Chapman Avenue and Beach Boulevard. “There we could see some structural damage, but it would be a little more limited,” Freeman said.
The map also showed oblong shapes over the tank site. The area in red showed “areas of flammability where we could have a fire or a flash fire in those areas,” Freeman said. The large oblong orange area “represents areas that are immediately dangerous to life and health, where injury could occur if someone inhales or is impacted by the product in question.”
And a larger yellow zone is an area where you can smell the chemical, but at non-toxic levels.
The question, experts say, is whether officials can somehow deal with dangerous chemicals in a way that doesn't end in an explosion or the kind of spill that causes environmental degradation.
“We are working nationally with experts from around the country trying to find the third solution,” Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen told The Times. “Maybe, if possible, the third solution could be to contain the liquid and freeze it or maybe turn it into a solid, we don't know.”
Eric Licas contributed to this report.
