Residents of Garden Grove, Orange County, are demanding answers from GKN Aerospace after a pressurized tank containing a highly reactive chemical threatened to explode over Memorial Day weekend, forcing evacuations and raising long-term safety concerns. The tank, which holds methyl methacrylate (MMA), a chemical used to make plexiglass, remains at the facility, and plans to remove the chemical were postponed with no new date announced as of Tuesday.
Ruben Delgado and his wife Nancy live just 100 yards from the tanks on Santa Rosalia Street. They have resided there since the early 1980s, raising two sons and transforming their home into an entertainer's paradise.
Before the incident, they never worried about the nearby industrial operations. Now, they question whether it is safe to sit on their patio or tend to their garden.
"I want that place shut down," Ruben told a reporter on Monday.
The incident has shattered the sense of security that drew generations of families to the neighborhood. Although an explosion was avoided, the lingering chemical smell and unanswered questions have left residents uneasy.
Nancy Delgado wonders what chemicals they may have been exposed to before evacuation orders were issued and air monitoring began. When they returned home, a putrid chemical smell lingered in the house.
This is not the first time an industrial site has clashed with Orange County residents. In 2023, All American Asphalt in Irvine closed after the city purchased the property for $285 million following years of complaints about air pollution.
The Garden Grove crisis has prompted Los Angeles County to launch an online map to inform residents if they live or work near industrial or waste sites.
GKN Aerospace donated $3 million to Orange County United Way's OC Community Resilience Fund to assist affected residents, but the company has not provided an accounting of what led to the tank's failure or whether operations will change. The company did not respond to questions from the Los Angeles Times.
Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against GKN Aerospace stemming from the incident.
The Garden Grove City Council sent a letter demanding answers and urging the company to address the community directly at Tuesday's council meeting. "The community deserves a full accounting of how this incident happened and what actions must be taken to protect public health, safety and the surrounding community," the letter states.
"GKN's $3 million contribution to the OC Community Resilience Fund is a start, but it is not nearly enough to address the full impact experienced by the community."
Nancy Delgado's central question remains: "How do we know this won't happen again?" The fear of the unknown continues to haunt the neighborhood.