Fifty thousand residents of Southern California remain under evacuation orders due to a chemical threat at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove. Emergency crews are working hard to prevent a potentially catastrophic explosion of a tank containing methyl methacrylate, or MMA.

Chemical Dangers and Immediate Risks

The facility, operated by GKN Aerospace, holds a tank filled with MMA, a volatile industrial chemical. Officials fear a dangerous “thermal runaway” reaction could occur, leading to dangerous rises in temperature and pressure.

Impact on Residents

Entire neighborhoods evacuated over the Memorial Day weekend as a precaution. Residents like Jackie Urquiza, who evacuated with her young son, face uncertainty and growing needs. “We need clothes and are running out of medication,” Urquiza shared.

Others, like Andrea Luna, and her children, have resorted to sleeping in a parking lot. Pablo Ramirez-Tellez evacuated his home so quickly he wore only slippers.

Evolving Situation

Special teams inspected the tank and found a pressure-releasing crack. This progress means a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion has been ruled out. However, Chief TJ McGovern of Orange County Fire Authority noted that an explosion remains a risk due to core assessments yet to be conducted.

Water is being sprayed on large storage tanks to manage temperatures. The evacuation orders remain as the situation develops.

GKN Aerospace’s Response

GKN Aerospace issued a public apology for the disturbance, acknowledging the uncertainty it has caused. The company has a history of environmental violations, having paid nearly $1 million in 2021 for past issues.

MMA, when stable, is commonly used in manufacturing plastics. However, it poses serious health risks if inhaled, according to Elias Picazo, a chemistry professor at USC.

Officials have stated that air quality monitors have not detected any toxic releases into the community.

Next Steps and Investigation

Safety protocols restrict the number of responders in the evacuation zone. Chief McGovern emphasized the importance of a strategic approach to ensure safety as further monitoring and assessments are conducted.

Two class-action lawsuits have been filed concerning the incident. The timeline for residents’ return remains undetermined.