Nearly 2 million Californians reside within three miles of chemical plants using methyl methacrylate, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory.
This includes 1.6 million residents in Southern California, with approximately 117,000 living within a mile of such facilities in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties. The recent incident at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove has drawn national attention to the proximity of these plants to residential areas.
On May 21, a malfunctioning storage tank at GKN Aerospace, containing 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, threatened a dangerous leak or explosion. The situation forced the evacuation of 50,000 residents in Garden Grove and nearby areas over Memorial Day weekend. The crisis was averted, partly due to a crack in the tank that helped release pressure…