The incident introduced many Southern California residents to methyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical that can cause breathing problems, nausea, nosebleeds and skin irritation severe enough in some cases to require hospital treatment.

A major disaster was averted after the tank at GKN Aerospace cracked enough to release pressure, according to officials. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, and multiple agencies are now examining what went wrong. But a review of federal Environmental Protection Agency data shows the chemical is stored at facilities across California, including several in densely populated parts of Los Angeles County.

In 2024, 14 California facilities reported storing methyl methacrylate, according to a CalMatters analysis of federal records. Four of those sites stored amounts comparable to or larger than the quantity involved in the Garden Grove emergency.

Community advocates say the scare exposed shortcomings in hazardous chemical oversight and emergency planning that could leave residents vulnerable.

“This could happen anywhere,” said Ivana Castellanos, toxics program manager with Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles. She said many industrial sites handle hazardous materials, and “it’s very easy” for something to go wrong.

At GKN Aerospace, methyl methacrylate was kept as a liquid in a storage tank. When exposed to heat, the chemical can undergo a reaction known as thermal runaway, in which it continues heating itself and can become highly flammable or explosive. Federal records show GKN stored between 100,000 pounds and just under 1 million pounds of the chemical in 2024.

Other California sites reported storing even larger volumes. Rohm & Haas Chemicals in Hayward, Engineered Polymer Solutions in Commerce and Plaskolite West in Compton each reported storing between 1 million and 10 million pounds. Arkema Coating Resins Plant in Torrance reported storing an amount similar to GKN.

Methyl methacrylate is not covered by the EPA’s Risk Management Program or by California’s related accidental release prevention program, known as CalARP. In some cases, workplace safety rules or fire codes may still require scrutiny, and facilities may be required to maintain emergency plans. But when a chemical falls outside those major accident-prevention programs, companies may not be required to take part in broader community emergency planning or public drills.

At Plaskolite West in Compton, the company stores up to 20,000 pounds of methyl methacrylate in tanks and less than 2 million pounds in rail cars, said Roger Hamilton, the company’s vice president of operations. He said the material is treated with an inhibitor intended to prevent a runaway chemical reaction.

Hamilton said Plaskolite reviews its internal emergency plans every year and is conducting another review in light of the Garden Grove incident. Those plans address spill response, operator training and chemical monitoring, he said.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued five notices of violation to Plaskolite since 2003. In 2021, regulators cited the company for failing to comply with permit conditions for certain equipment. In 2022, the air district accused the company of creating a public nuisance after methyl methacrylate was released into the air.

Hamilton said the 2022 incident occurred when a nylon bag holding the chemical broke, causing a strong odor. He said he was not aware of the earlier violation.

“Anytime you’re dealing with any kind of substrates or materials of any hazardous substance, there’s always risk associated with it,” Hamilton said. “We try to be very safety conscious when we’re handling this stuff, not only just for our employees, but for the communities around us, and we try to follow all the state and federal laws.”

Glynna Mayers, a representative for Rohm & Haas Chemicals, said the Hayward site currently stores less than 1 million pounds of methyl methacrylate and complies with applicable requirements for storage and handling.

Mayers said the chemical is kept in an above-ground tank surrounded by concrete and protected by a fire suppression system. The facility also uses an inhibitor to reduce the risk of reaction and conducts regular drills with local emergency responders, she said.

“Our priority remains the safety and security of our employees, neighbors, and the environment,” Mayers said.

Dave Schrader, a representative for Arkema’s Torrance facility, said the company is reviewing the Garden Grove emergency for any lessons that may apply to its operations. He said the facility has a strong record on safety and environmental compliance.

Schrader said Arkema conducts emergency response drills with its own teams several times a year and trains with local emergency responders at least annually.

Engineered Polymer Solutions, which reported storing between 1 million and 10 million pounds of methyl methacrylate in Commerce, did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment by deadline.

For environmental justice advocates, the Garden Grove emergency was alarming but not surprising. Many said they had not previously focused on methyl methacrylate, but they recognized a familiar pattern: communities living near industrial operations with hazardous substances and limited public knowledge about risks.

GKN Aerospace agreed in 2024 to pay more than $900,000 to settle multiple violations issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The district continued issuing permits to the facility as part of its expansion plans.

“Systemically, government agencies … continue to allow companies to operate with inadequate safeguards, in some cases without permits, in some cases even issuing new permits despite decades of violations,” said Bradley Angel, director of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice. “This is business as usual.”

All five facilities that reported storing amounts similar to or greater than GKN are in communities ranked among the top half of California’s most environmentally burdened areas, according to CalEnviroScreen 5.0. The Compton and Commerce facilities are in areas ranked among the top 10% statewide.

Cynthia Babich, executive director of the Del Amo Action Committee, said she did not know a facility handling methyl methacrylate was operating near residents.

Without stronger rules and clearer public emergency plans, Babich said, communities cannot feel adequately protected.

“When things like what happened in Orange County happen, it just underlines all the fears that our community has — that people are not prepared and we’re not being protected, and they have really dangerous chemicals in our community,” she said.

Original source: CalMatters

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