This week, some areas in Orange County may experience a peculiar fruity odor as efforts continue to remove chemicals from the Garden Grove Aerospace Facility, which was at the center of an evacuation incident last month.
The clean-up at the GKN Aerospace facility is being managed by the Orange County Health Department, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and GKN Aerospace.
Fortunately, the immediate risk associated with the damaged storage tanks holding methyl methacrylate (MMA) has been addressed.
This particular tank raised alarms in May, leading to the evacuation of thousands of residents due to concerns over potential chemical leaks and explosions.
Officials later explained that a crack in the tank had caused a pressure release, which alleviated the immediate threat.
From Thursday to Friday, the neutralized MMA will be pumped out of storage tanks and loaded onto sealed trucks for safe disposal, according to the OC Health Care Agency.
During this process, residents might notice some unusual smells.
“Temporary and intermittent odors may occur during this activity. MMA has a distinctive fruity or plastic-like odor,” the agency mentioned in a statement.
Air monitoring is ongoing in and around the facility as crews continue to remove remnants safely.
It was noted that MMA’s low odor threshold means people could detect its scent even at levels that wouldn’t pose a health risk.
“Initial cleanup efforts involved removing some of the neutralized MMA, testing wastewater for proper disposal, and conducting air monitoring along with tank temperature checks to ensure safety and stability,” the OC Healthcare Agency reported.
