MMA removal – Orange County health officials say workers will start removing neutralized methyl methacrylate from two GKN Aerospace storage tanks Monday through Thursday, a step in the cleanup after a volatile chemical scare forced about 50,000 residents from six cities to
By the time the notification came through, many families had already lived with the smell and the fear for days. Now. Orange County officials are preparing to pull more of the hazardous material from GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove site—an operation that began to reshape life across the area after a chemical tank threatened to explode in late May.
Starting sometime between Monday and Thursday. workers are expected to begin removing neutralized methyl methacrylate. or MMA. from two of three storage tanks at GKN Aerospace. The OC Health Care Agency said in a news release Friday that the material will be handled using specialized containers designed with “features that support temperature control and secure transport.” The agency said the removal process will take several days to complete.
Residents might notice intermittent odors of MMA during cleanup. Officials described it as having a fruity smell, and they said the exposure should remain at concentrations below any threshold that would prompt health concerns.
This step is part of a longer effort, the agency emphasized. “The drainage operation represents one phase of the cleanup and disposal process. Air monitoring will continue throughout cleanup operations,” the OC Health Care Agency said in its Friday news release. The agency also set up an online dashboard so residents can monitor air quality as crews work.
The broader cleanup follows a crisis that started after officials responded to the GKN Aerospace facility on May 21. They soon realized a volatile chemical tank posed a risk of exploding or causing a major spill. About 50,000 people from six Orange County cities were forced to evacuate their homes.
Final evacuation orders were lifted May 26 after officials determined that a crack in an overheating tank—containing 7. 000 gallons of MMA—had relieved pressure and diminished the risk of an explosion. After the pressure was released through the crack. emergency crews peeled back the tank’s external wall and insulation to pump water inside to cool it down.
The cleanup had initially been scheduled for June 4. but was delayed due to “unavailable resources. ” according to the OC Health Care Agency. In the same news release announcing the delay. health officials said workers attempted to empty a stormwater and condensation tank in an area “unrelated to the incident site. ” and spilled 50 gallons of water into the storm drain. Officials said the potential for any trace amounts of MMA to be found in the stormwater was low. but it would be monitored.
GKN Aerospace, a Britain-based company that manufactures fighter-jet and commercial aircraft windows, faces multiple class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of evacuated residents alleging the company was negligent in maintaining its facility.
The company has said it will donate $4 million to local relief organizations serving residents forced to evacuate their homes in response to the crisis. At the same time. federal investigators have stayed involved: six days after cleanup was scheduled to take place. the FBI served a search warrant at the GKN facility. An agency spokesperson said the warrant was part of an ongoing investigation into the business. A GKN spokesperson said the company would continue cooperating with authorities.
For residents who remember the rush of evacuation orders and the uncertainty of what was in the tanks, the next phase of work is likely to bring another stretch of watching and waiting—this time with daily air monitoring and a clear focus on the tanks where neutralized MMA will be removed.
Garden Grove GKN Aerospace MMA methyl methacrylate hazardous waste cleanup OC Health Care Agency evacuation air monitoring FBI search warrant