What Chemical Is Leaking in Garden Grove, CA?

[MineralMan]

https://abc7.com/post/what-is-methyl-methacrylate-toxic-chemical-leak-garden-grove-tank-center-hazmat-crisis/19152928/

They aren't saying on most of the news stories. Probably because they can't pronounce it. It's nasty stuff, used in making plastics. Methyl methacrylate. You can find more information at the link above.

They simply don't know what to do with it. Maybe there is nothing they can do. It's a very dangerous potential disaster.

[riversedge]

1. 'People who work with methyl methacrylate are typically required to wear protective equipment such as goggles and respir

...........People who work with methyl methacrylate are typically required to wear protective equipment such as goggles and respirators due to its hazardous nature.

While research into long-term health effects remains limited, officials say methyl methacrylate is not currently considered carcinogenic.

[ZDU]

2. Meth.. meth....

[MineralMan]

4. No. More the acrylate.

Meth is not necessarily the drug. It's a chemical prefix.

[ZDU]

13. Yes, I know. Next time I'll add the...

Mea culpa

[MineralMan]

3. More: Chemicals Like That Should NOT Be Stored in Residential Areas

This is a bigger problem than most people realize. There are tanks and drums full of toxic, highly flammable, and explosive chemicals located all over communities of all sizes. Wherever there is industry, such chemicals are frequently present.

Unfortunately, fire departments are often not aware of what is being stored in shops, warehouses, and small manufacturing businesses. They should be, but often just don't know what's lucking behind roll-up doors everywhere.

My father was the fire chief in the small town i grew up in. It was a volunteer fire department. My Dad know a lot about a lot of things, but not everything about everything.

I went with him one time as an adult on an inspection of a small factory in that town. I was just along for the ride, really. After we left the building, I told him that I had noticed some chemical drums stored in the building. Lots of them. I noted the contents in my mind and was thinking about them as we toured the building. My dad was also an auto mechanic, and was familiar with some chemicals and their storage needs. This, building however, went way past his information.

So, I listed the chemicals I had noted in my mind and described what might happen if there were a fire in that building that led to the drums being emptied out together from the heat of a possible fire. The combinations of chemicals could have presented a lethal cloud in the area. I didn't remember the details now, but I knew the risks.

The little factory was right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It was surrounded by houses. Anyhow, I voiced my concerns. My Dad didn't know the dangers. He contacted the county fire department for a fresh inspection. They had professionals who could provide more information about the risks. All I had done was give him a clue to follow.

In the end, the factory was shut down. The chemicals were removed from the area and the business had to move to a different zoning area.

We don't know what's next door to us. We should.

[popsdenver]

12. There are alot of BoPhal? India's

all over the U.S.

We here in Colorado are sitting on several such sites. Mostly surrounding Denver, but also in Pueblo.......

The absolute worse site, by far, is in Oregon?/Washington............Hanford..................Holy Shit

[dalton99a]

5. What GKN Aerospace makes

Before the chemical crisis, the plant on Western Avenue was primarily known as a worldwide leading manufacturer of cockpit windshields, jet canopies and aviation windows for civil and military aircraft. The site, which employs 540, even developed a line of special bullet-resistant glass.

GKN Aerospace’s Orange County site is one of 36 plants around the world operated by a massive company that started off in 1759 as an ironworks operation in South Wales.

Through the centuries, the United Kingdom-based firm has evolved into an international supplier of jet engines, landing gear, plane bodies and airplane windows, known as transparencies. According to the company’s website, GKN Aerospace parts are used in 90% of the passenger planes, helicopters and fighter jets flown around the world.

Aviation enthusiasts will recognize some of the Garden Grove facility’s accomplishments. It manufactures the canopy for the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet as well as the windows for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Airbus A350, HondaJet and Bombardier C-Series.

The windows are built to withstand extreme conditions, such as bird strikes and high pressure. GKN Aerospace has two other transparency manufacturing sites in the United States. Two more company facilities in San Diego County manufacture aerostructures, engine systems and special military technologies.

https://www.ocregister.com/2026/05/22/garden-grove-plant-leading-maker-of-worldwide-aviation-windows-canopies/

[MineralMan]

6. Thanks for the info!

[eppur_se_muova]

7. https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221255572#post7 for some info from wiki

The chemical (MMA) is a very well-known one in industry. Firefighters aren't familiar with it because it doesn't catch fire that often. Basically, it's a flammable organic liquid, like alcohol, only less volatile. It is more volatile than gasoline, kerosene, diesel, etc. It is also more toxic and irritant than any of those. Certain conditions cause it to polymerize to a solid, which releases a lot of heat. The heat causes a buildup of pressure as more MMA evaporates, and heat can also increase the rate of polymerization -- a vicious cycle known as "thermal runaway". By spraying the tank with hoses, they are helping to carry away heat (mostly by evaporation of water, which is why it's best sprayed as widely dispersed as possible) and prevent thermal runaway. If the tank cools sufficiently, the pressure will drop, and the reaction should also slow down. Disaster averted, if the water spray keeps coming fast enough.

The solid formed on polymerization can actually be de-polymerized by heat, re-forming a volatile liquid (and vapor). This makes it a little hard to predict just what's happening in any particular conditions of heat and pressure.

To quibble, it's more the fire they don't know what to do with, than the chemical involved. Apparently one stuck or broken valve was enough to trigger a situation like this, which shouldn't be the case, if backups are properly planned and maintained. If it turns out that bad design/planning led to the plant not having a backup plan for emptying the tank in an emergency, this could lead to some heads rolling in the aftermath. Unfortunately, at smaller companies less under the public eye, such preventative measures often don't get the attention they would at a major corp. plant.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221255572#post7

[MineralMan]

17. Thanks for the details!

[MineralMan]

8. Here's the address of that factory.

12122 Western Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92841, USA

Google maps shows it as just across a major street from a very densely populated residential area. I mean, across the street. I hope everyone gets the heck out of there immediately. I hope they're not just encouraging evacuation.

Very dangerous.

[dalton99a]

9. -

[MineralMan]

10. Good. I'd sure get out of that area!

[erronis]

11. I thought I recognized that compound - methacrylate is used to make very hard glass including contact lenses

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Adhesives Too

There are loads of adhesives that have MMA as one of the reactions.
Very common.
Also, used in plastic sheeting like the thin layer over insulating panels.
I worked with it a little early in my career on a cyanoacrylate using polyester polygons to create a low density sealant.

[MineralMan]

16. Yes. Very useful materials.

Sadly, pretty dangerous raw materials to have around. Somewhat unstable, too. Apparently, that place makes cockpit windows for jets. It's unfortunate the the factory is adjacent to a densely populated neighborhood.

[Warpy]

15. It doesn't have to be exotic

It might be a dehydrator like sulfuric acid, but since the plant does work for the DOD, they are loath to admit even that much.

[Beringia]

18. The word sounded familiar and I remember why, they use it to make joint cement for knee replacements

So I had a shorthand for that, probably mma and it would spell it out

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is widely used in orthopedic applications, including bone cement in total joint replacement surgery, bone fillers, and bone substitutes due to its affordability, biocompatibility, and processability. However, the bone regeneration efficiency of PMMA is limited because of its lack of bioactivity, poor osseointegration, and non-degradability. The use of bone cement also has disadvantages such as methyl methacrylate (MMA) release and high exothermic temperature during the polymerization of PMMA, which can cause thermal necrosis.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38337256/