An inspection contractor found a chemical tank at a Washington state paper mill "not fit for continued service" 10 months before it failed in May.
Authorities are urgently trying to stop an overheated, pressured and bulging tank filled with a toxic chemical from exploding in Orange County, California.
The toxic chemical inside the large storage tank that was leaking in California is methyl methacrylate, or MMA.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday declared a state of emergency in Orange County amid ongoing efforts to stabilize a damaged chemical tank at a facility in Garden Grove.
Officials said Friday there is no active gas leak or plume, but that the tank is "actively in crisis" and is unable to be "secured."
Leafy greens such as spinach and perennial kid favorites such as strawberries and grapes held the highest levels of potentially harmful pesticide residues based on government tests.