Hazmat teams have begun to remove thousands of gallons of methyl methacrylate (MMA) from storage tanks at the facility that was at the center of a chemical crisis in Garden Grove last month.
Crews are working to remove 14,000 gallons of neutralized MMA from two storage tanks at the GKN Aerospace facility. After pumping out the chemical from the tanks, crews will then transport it in refrigerated trucks to an Ohio disposal site to be incinerated.
The operation will be closely monitored by environmental health teams with the county and hazmat teams from GKN Aerospace. The company said it expects the cleanup process to be finished by Thursday.
While the cleanup is executed, residents living near the facility may smell a fruity odor as the chemical is removed, Orange County officials warned.
“With the removal this week, there could be some odor that some community members might smell but our understanding is it’s so minor that it’s not of a health risk,” Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen said.
The cleanup marks a major step in putting behind a crisis that forced 50,000 people out of their homes during Memorial Day weekend. Some families said they’re still trying to recoup costs from thousands of dollars spent on hotel stays and food expenses and have received $500 gift cards they applied for through United Way.
“Thankfully, they did give me the $500,” said Marisol Rojas, who lives in the community. “That was one of the perks that you would get for qualifying, so I’m grateful for that.”
Rojas said she spent $2,000 to $3,000 on two hotel rooms for her family and other relatives during the evacuation order.
Orange County approved last week an allocation of $500,000 to help reimburse residents who were impacted by the evacuation order.
Comments are closed.