WATER is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. /Ethan Swope)
A resolution extending the proclamation of the local emergency related to the chemic tanks at the GKN Aerospace factory at 12122 Western Ave. was approved on a 7-0 vote by the Garden Grove City Council on Tuesday night.
The result of the release of vapors of the MMA chemical and the possibility of a major leak or even explosion over the Memorial Day weekend led to the evacuation of an area affecting about 40,000 people that included parts of not just Garden Grove, but also Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster.
According to the staff report, although the expected
According to the staff report, “although the expected failure of the chemical tanks has been abated, cleanup and remediation efforts continue at the site.
Two of the three chemical tanks were completely drained, the failed tank continues its red-tag condition and the assessment and determination of whether the tanks will be removed from the site has not been completed.”
At the meeting several speakers addressed the council to ask members to oppose the proposed expansion of the facility and/or cancel the factory’s operating permits on the grounds that it represented a public safety hazard.
