Orange County residents warned of chemical odors as GKN Aerospace tank cleanup continues
Residents warned of odors as tank cleanup continues
Orange County officials are warning residents near the GKN Aerospace facility to expect chemical odors as crews remove the remaining methyl methacrylate from a damaged storage tank.
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Orange County officials are warning residents near the GKN Aerospace facility to expect a noticeable chemical odor over the next two days as crews begin the final phases of stabilizing and emptying a damaged storage tank that triggered a major hazmat emergency.
Authorities say the immediate threat of a tank explosion has been eliminated, but cleanup operations are now focused on removing the remaining methyl methacrylate (MMA) from the compromised tank and transporting it off-site for disposal. MMA is a flammable industrial chemical used in plastics and acrylic production that can produce a strong, fruity or plastic-like smell at very low concentrations.
Officials emphasize that while the odor may be detectable at times, air monitoring has consistently shown levels within safety thresholds, and they say intermittent smells are expected during the transfer process.
The warning comes after an emergency earlier this month that forced an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 residents across Garden Grove and nearby Orange County communities to evacuate when the tank became unstable and raised concerns about a potential explosion. Fire officials previously described the situation as a high-risk scenario involving possible thermal runaway, prompting one of the region’s largest recent evacuations.
Now, with residents back home, many say they are receiving notices alerting them that cleanup activity could bring back the smell of the same chemical that sparked the crisis.
"Now, I’m not so worried about blowing up. But I just keep thinking, what if we go to sleep and don’t wake up?" said Garden Grove resident Mona-Lisa Aguirre.
Her husband, Frank Aguirre, said the evacuation continues to strain families financially.
"We're running out of money [from the evacuation]. We can’t really go anywhere else," he said.
Crews are expected to spend the next 48 hours draining and removing the remaining material from the tank as part of a controlled cleanup operation overseen by emergency responders and environmental officials.
Some residents say they remain uneasy even after evacuation orders were lifted.
"I don’t think I want to be here. They’re coming by every hour to monitor the air. I don’t want to take that chance," said nearby resident Ruben Delgado.
Officials continue to urge residents not to panic if they notice odors, stressing that the smell does not necessarily indicate unsafe conditions. Air monitoring will remain in place throughout the operation as crews work to fully secure the site.