The FBI conducted a search at a Southern California aerospace facility after a hazardous chemical tank overheated, prompting the evacuation of roughly 50,000 residents; a federal warrant was served on Wednesday.
Issued by a federal judge last week, the warrant authorized the seizure of records concerning the storage, use, or disposal of methyl methacrylate — a highly flammable substance contained in the tank that raised concerns about a potential explosion.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is pursuing a separate criminal investigation into the plant and has directed the company not to alter or destroy any evidence, said spokesperson Kimberly Edds to the Associated Press.
Situated in Garden Grove, Orange County, GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems — a United Kingdom‑based firm — specializes in producing cockpit windows, canopies, and windshields.
The overheated tank held between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable liquid employed in the production of plastics and coatings, including Plexiglas and dental prosthetics.
Exposure to methyl methacrylate may lead to severe respiratory distress, neurological effects, and irritation of the skin, eyes, and throat, per Environmental Protection Agency warnings.
The warrant also required agents to collect samples from any tank, tote, drum, vat, vessel, or container that might contain or have previously held methyl methacrylate or other hazardous substances.
Additionally, the warrant directed the seizure of records pertaining to any cooling or temperature‑control equipment used with methyl methacrylate.
‘We are cooperating with authorities at our Garden Grove facility and will continue to do so,’ a GKN spokesperson told the Associated Press on Wednesday morning.
During a community meeting on Tuesday, GKN senior vice‑president Steve Carlin expressed gratitude to firefighters and local leaders for their response to the May incident and offered an apology to the Garden Grove community.
At the meeting, city officials and residents urged GKN to explore relocating the methyl methacrylate tanks, but Carlin indicated that it is premature to decide on such a move given the ongoing investigation.
Reports of the overheating tank surfaced on May 21, and residents of Garden Grove were evacuated the next day. Most were able to return home over the Memorial Day weekend after a crack formed in the tank, relieving pressure and averting an explosion. Approximately a dozen evacuees and local businesses have since sued GKN, citing strong odors, respiratory irritation, headaches, and dizziness.
Orange County health officials reported no released contamination or fumes and announced plans to monitor air quality for several months while inspecting sewer and storm‑drain systems.
The California incident marked the first of two major hazardous‑chemical emergencies on the West Coast within a week. Five days after the GKN event began, a corrosive‑chemical tank at a Longview, Washington, paper mill ruptured and collapsed, resulting in 11 fatalities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report