The planned removal of a toxic chemical from storage tanks at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, where mass evacuations were ordered last week due to overheating in one of the tanks, was postponed on Friday, June 5.
The new date for the operation, which had been scheduled to begin Thursday, June 4, was unclear.
“Once a removal date is confirmed, advance notice will be provided to the community with important information, including the potential odors during the activity,” according to a Friday statement from the Orange County Health Care Agency.
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Agency spokeswoman Salma Elshakre said the operation was stalled because of a delay in the delivery of required sealed trucks.
When the operation does occur, workers will pump the neutralized methyl methacrylate, or MMA, out of tanks and into the sealed trucks, which will take the chemicals away for disposal.
Officials said the chemical has a “distinctive fruity or plastic-like odor” that nearby residents might smell, but most people may not notice.
Officials continued to monitor the air around the plant to ensure it is safe.
Thousands of residents in Garden Grove and Stanton left their homes for days during the Memorial Day weekend as authorities worked to neutralize the MMA at the facility, 12122 Western Ave., amid fears it would leak out or the tank would explode.
Ultimately a crack in the troubled tank wound up relieving pressure inside, negating the risk.
Healthcare officials said on Friday, June 5, that while crews were emptying an unrelated stormwater tank at the GKN facility, a small spill occurred and about 50 gallons of stormwater flowed into a storm drain. Authorities took a sample of the spilled stormwater for testing.
“The potential for any trace amounts of MMA to be found in the stormwater is low,” the Orange County Health Care Agency said in the statement.
The Garden Grove City Council called on GKN officials to update the community on what they plan to do to address the fallout from the situation.
Reading from a letter to the company, Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said the emergency “caused significant hardship to many in our community and placed first responders in a dangerous and volatile situation. … The community needs to understand how this incident happened and what steps are being taken to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.”
