O.C. officials clarify Garden Grove chemical release
Orange County health officials backed away from an earlier claim that no vapors were released during the Garden Grove tank emergency. State and county officials said later air monitoring did not detect methyl methacrylate in the community.
Orange County health officials clarified statements about the May 21 chemical tank crisis at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove after fire and emergency records described fumes released from a storage tank. The tank held 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a chemical that can irritate the lungs and cause more severe health problems at high exposure levels.
The county said MMA air monitoring began May 22, so conditions from earlier on May 21 cannot be measured after the fact. County and state health officials said readings after monitoring began stayed within normal ranges, water remained safe, and no long term community health effects are anticipated from the incident.