Irvine residents could soon know if they’re living next to a facility that handles hazardous chemicals – a public policy decision spurred by a Garden Grove chemical tank emergency that forced evacuations of tens of thousands of residents in North Orange County.
Irvine City Council members unanimously signed off on new disclosure requirements for businesses operating with toxic chemicals in town on Tuesday night, requiring a notification to any residents within a quarter mile and new zoning restrictions for future businesses.
The new rules come after over 50,000 people evacuated in May due to a chemical tank in Garden Grove that emergency officials say nearly exploded, along with another incident in La Habra this month that saw an orange cloud of chemicals hang over the city for hours before dissipating with a handful of evacuations…