Cleanup at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, where a compromised chemical tank was at risk of exploding late last month prompting a massive evacuation of nearby residents, continues this week, with Orange County Health Care Agency officials warning that “temporary, intermittent odors” might occur.
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The compromised tank, which was filled with methyl methacrylate, forced the evacuation of around 50,000 residents in Garden Grove and surrounding cities during the Memorial Day weekend after a cooling system failed, leading the temperature in the tank to reach dangerous levels before a crack formed, releasing pressure and bringing the temperature back down, officials said.
The Orange County Health Care Agency, working with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and GKN Aerospace, planned to pump out the chemical from the tank on Thursday, June 4, and Friday, June 5, officials said in a statement. The chemical would then be put into sealed trucks and taken away for disposal.
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Residents may notice a “distinctive fruity or plastic-like odor” during the process, officials said.
“The product has a very low odor threshold, meaning people may notice a scent even when concentrations are well below levels associated with health concerns,” the healthcare agency said. “Air monitoring continues at the facility perimeter and in the surrounding community to ensure public safety and guide response actions.”
Methyl methacrylate is a flammable substance that generates heat spontaneously. Orange County firefighters responded to GKN Aerospace, at 12122 Western Ave., on May 21 after the company called and reported its system to cool the tanks had failed and that one of the tanks, which contained 7,000 gallons of the chemical, was in trouble.
Orange County Fire Authority officials worked with the company and other experts to come up with a solution while using an unmanned ground hose to spray water on the tank to hold down the temperature. Officials at the time said there were two options: The tank would experience a thermal event known as a “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion,” or BLEVE, or a crack would form in the tank, which could lead to a chemical spill.
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The crack did form, leading to a pressure release that allowed firefighters to regulate the temperature and neutralize the chemical. But there was no significant spillage.
Some residents closest to the manufacturing plant were asked to evacuate from May 22 until May 26, while others who were a little farther away were allowed back to their homes a day earlier.
In a statement, GKN Aerospace apologized “for the uncertainty and disruption this situation has caused,” while also thanking the first responders and public agencies involved.
Dozens of residents have since filed lawsuits against the company, noting that they had to pay for lodging, food expenses and travel, while some suffered health-related issues, including panic attacks and respiratory issues.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Cal/OSHA have launched investigations into the incident and the facility.
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