A damaged chemical tank in southern California cracked over the weekend, which authorities were hopeful would relieve pressure and reduce the risk of an explosion.

Some 50,000 residents in Garden Grove, a city of roughly 170,000 about 40 miles (60km) south of downtown Los Angeles, have been evacuated and are waiting for a resolution.

The tank overheated on Thursday and began venting vapors, leaving local and state officials scrambling to evade a worst possible scenario at the aerospace company site.

No injuries have been yet reported.

Fire officials planned to send in a team overnight to determine if the pressure has been relieved, which would reduce the worst-case scenario of an explosion, TJ McGovern, the Orange county fire authority interim chief, said in a video posted late on Sunday to the agency’s X account.

Atmospheric modeling showed an active leak from the tank as of Sunday night, McGovern said.

Firefighters have repeatedly sprayed the tank with water in an attempt to cool the chemical inside, methyl methacrylate, which is used to make plastic parts. The tank’s interior reached 100 degrees (37.7 Celsius) on Sunday, an increase of 10 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5 Celsius) since Saturday.

Fire officials over the weekend discovered the tank had cracked, lowering the potential for a devastating blast.

The tank at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft, holds 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate used to make plastic parts.

Monitoring tests found air pollution around the evacuation zone was within normal limits and specialized equipment is being used to ensure gas is not released, state and federal environmental officials said Saturday.

The first goal of firefighters is to cool off the chemical inside the tank to prevent a leak or explosion.

Drones were monitoring temperatures at 10-minute intervals to watch for any spikes. Containment barriers have been set up to prevent the chemical from getting into storm drains or reaching creeks or the nearby ocean in the event of a spill, the Orange county fire authority division chief, Craig Covey, said on social media.

As the interior temperature rises, methyl methacrylate converts from a liquid to a gas and increases the pressure, according to Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor who said the crack could mean product or pressure is being released, reducing the chance of explosion.

“Think of a soda can. If you leave it in a hot car it can explode,” Whelton said. “But if you put a hole in the can, the product is released and the can itself doesn’t explode.”

Aerial photos taken by the Associated Press showed streets in the area were empty on Sunday, while several evacuation shelters were open. At a high school in neighboring La Palma, people slept in cars or on mats and sleeping bags on the asphalt.

Garden Grove is next to Anaheim, home to Disneyland’s two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders. Park officials said they were monitoring the situation.

Exposure to methyl methacrylate can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological problems and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to fact sheets about the chemical.

Some Garden Grove residents filed a class action federal lawsuit on Saturday against GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, which operates the facility where the tank is located. Lawyers for the residents argued that regardless of what happens, property values in the surrounding community are sure to be impacted.

GKN Aerospace did not comment on the lawsuit but has apologized to residents and businesses forced to evacuate. It said Sunday it was “working around the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak”.

Colorado still has no statewide regulations or incentives to implement for new data centers after the demise of two bills in this year’s legislative session.

The sponsors of each had attempted to find the right combination of carrot and stick for the booming industry. Despite hours of testimony and hundreds of meetings, both a bill that offered tax breaks for new data centers and a measure that focused on imposing guardrails failed. Neither progressed past their first committee before the session ended May 13.

It’s the third year in a row that lawmakers have failed to pass legislation related to the industry, which has become increasingly controversial as larger facilities multiply across the country to meet the computing needs of an increasingly digital world and to train artificial intelligence models. While industry boosters promote the jobs and money the centers can bring, others worry about the facilities’ water and power consumption as Colorado experiences prolonged drought and strives to transition to renewable energy sources.

The failure of the bills — both sponsored by Democrats — has left Colorado with neither incentives to lure new development nor rules about the centers’ use of power, water and land.

“I think it’s an unfortunate outcome and, honestly, not what either side wanted to see,” said Alana Miller, the Colorado policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s climate and energy program.

Bill sponsors and lobbyists said they struggled to find consensus on complicated topics from a wide range of interested parties, including environmental advocates, data center representatives, business development groups, labor unions, community organizations, utilities and local governments of a variety of political persuasions.

Data center lobbyists told lawmakers that state sales tax incentives were crucial to luring new development, which would spur new jobs and local tax revenue. Some lawmakers balked at giving up tax revenue while the state is in a prolonged budget crisis.

Environmental groups, for their part, pushed for rules requiring the use of renewable energy and the efficient use of water. Labor groups argued in favor of the construction jobs the incentives would allegedly attract, while community groups worried about the noise and air impact the huge facilities would have on their neighborhoods.

“It was one of the most complicated bills that I’ve run, given the number of people who have an interest — and competing interests,” said Sen. Cathy Kipp, prime sponsor of Senate Bill 102, which proposed regulations for the industry.

The status quo leaves all parties unsatisfied.

Without statewide guardrails, local governments are increasingly setting their own rules or temporarily banning the construction of new centers until they can create new code.

That patchwork of rules has created uncertainty for the data center industry, said Dan Diorio, the vice president of state policy for the Data Center Coalition, an industry group. The rules, plus the lack of a tax break, mean Colorado is not an attractive place for new data centers, he said.

“Colorado is not a competitive marketplace, and that is going to continue to remain the case,” Diorio said.

A last-minute effort

The sponsors of the more industry-friendly, incentives-focused bill, House Bill 1030 killed the legislation in the second-to-last week of the session, citing a lack of support. The bill would have given lengthy sales tax exemptions to data center developers that meet certain environmental and energy criteria, but would have imposed no regulations on developers who do not pursue the tax incentive.

Rep. Alex Valdez, a Denver Democrat and the prime sponsor, declined an interview for this story as he was on vacation. He previously said the failure of the bill meant Colorado would miss out on further data center development and companies would build in other states, like Wyoming.

Lawmakers also attempted to pass tax incentives for the industry in 2024 and 2025, but failed both years.

Kipp, a Larimer County Democrat, tried to push a new version of her bill in the final days of the legislative session but was unsuccessful. The rewritten bill was an attempt at compromise — pairing regulations and data-sharing requirements with a limited tax incentive that companies would have competed for.

Kipp said she didn’t want any incentives — she questioned the need to write a blank check to some of the richest companies in the world while the state suffers a budget crisis. But she added limited incentives to the bill in the final days as an overture. It wasn’t enough.

“We really tried to thread the needle and worked really hard,” Kipp said. “But we ended up not being able to get where we wanted.”

The outcome was frustrating, she said, but she was ready to continue the conversation. Kipp already pulled a bill title for a planned attempt next year and will use the rewritten bill as a starting place.

“We’re just going to have to continue talking to people all summer,” she said.

Local action in a state void

The void of statewide rules has prompted a handful of local governments across Colorado to enact moratoriums on all new data center development while they draft their own regulations. Others are considering outright bans.

At least five local governments have imposed temporary moratoriums — and a sixth is considering a ban on large data centers.

The Denver City Council this month unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new data center development to give city leaders time to craft regulations. The construction of a large data center in northern Denver by the local company Coresite has intensified community calls for regulation — or an outright ban.

When complete, the company has said the three-building facility will use a maximum of 65 megawatts to 75 megawatts of power at a time — the same amount of power as up to 82,500 homes. The buildings will also require up to 805,000 gallons of water a day to cool the computer systems — the same as 16,100 Denverites’ average daily indoor water use.

The day after Denver’s May 18 vote, Jefferson County commissioners imposed a 10-month moratorium on new data centers. Also Tuesday, the Longmont City Council took a preliminary vote to advance a ban on hyperscale data centers, which it defined as a center with at least 70 megawatts of capacity. The council will make a final decision as early as June.

From identifying changing constellations in the night sky to noticing when ʻamaʻama (mullet) spawn, ancient Hawaiians were incredibly observant of their natural surroundings and the shifts in seasons.

They used a sophisticated lunar calendar consisting of 12 months, which were marked by the appearance of different stars and constellations. These months were divided into two seasons. The cooler, wetter season is Hoʻilo, which runs from about October to April. Kau Wela is the warm, drier season, which runs from about May through September.

With warm and pleasant weather throughout the 12 the year, it sometimes feels like we live in a perpetual summer in Hawaiʻi. Fall and spring are simply terms used to describe school semesters. However, locals know there are subtle differences between the seasons.

These are just a few of the reasons we look forward to the summer months in Hawaiʻi every year.

1. Seasonal Specialties

It’s not just mangoes that grow in abundance during the summer. Lychee, lilikoʻi, soursop and calamansi are just a few other favorites that locals often share with their neighbors. Across the Islands, farmers markets overflow with vibrant fruit stands, from the KCC Farmers Market on Oʻahu and Upcountry Farmers Market on Maui to the Grove Farm Market on Kauaʻi and Hilo Farmers Market on Hawaiʻi Island.

READ MORE: 9 Ways to Sink Your Teeth into Mango Season in Hawaiʻi

2. Shave Ice Season

Sure, you can enjoy shave ice at any point in the year. But for many locals, it’s the sweet nostalgia of indulging in the refreshing treat after a day at the beach that takes you back to your “little kid” days during the summer.

READ MORE: Why Waiola Shave Ice is an Endearing Favorite

3. Pua Bloom

From pua kenikeni to plumeria, the Islands’ fragrant pua (flowers) often bloom in the summer months. It’s a great time of year to visit a botanical garden to see what plants are in season.

READ MORE: Escape to This Outdoor Oasis in Honolulu

4.Beach Days on the North Shore

Some of the best beaches across the Islands stretch along their northern coastlines. From ʻEhukai Beach Park on Oʻahu and Hoʻokipa Beach Park on Maui to Kēʻē Beach on Kauaʻi, it’s easy to be captivated by these sandy shores. During the winter months, these beaches are known for their large waves and dangerous rip currents. Fortunately, the conditions are typically much calmer in the summer, making for long and beautiful beach days.

5. South Shore Swells

While the North Shore is graced by calmer waters in the summer, the south shores see exciting swells generated by winter storms in the Southern Hemisphere. These swells typically peak between May and September, bringing fun waves that are often ideal for beginners and longboarders.

6. King Kamehameha Day

June 11 is an official state holiday celebrating Kamehameha the Great, one of the most important and legendary rulers in Hawaiian history. The monarch united all the major Hawaiian Islands, establishing the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. On Oʻahu, state leaders and community members gather in Downtown Honolulu to adorn the King Kamehameha Statue with beautiful lei. On Hawaiʻi Island there are two statues of the king, one in Hilo and one in front of the North Kahala Civic Center. Both statues are ceremoniously draped in lei to celebrate Hawaiʻi’s great king.

READ MORE: 3 Legends About Hawaiʻi’s King Kamehameha 

7. Summer Festivals in Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi hosts an exciting mix of annual events throughout the summer. Be sure to bookmark the Hawaiʻi Kuauli Pacific & Asia Cultural Festival on Hawaiʻi Island in early June, the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival on Maui at the end of June, and Duke’s OceanFest on Oʻahu in August.

8.Bon Dances

When waves of immigrants arrived to work on sugar plantations in Hawaiʻi, they also brought many customs and traditions. Japanese plantation workers planted the seeds for Obon season. These festivals include Bon dances; a style of folk dance performed to honor ancestral spirits. Dancers circle around a yagura (tower). Across the Islands, Buddhist missions welcome everyone to participate.