LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities served a search warrant on Wednesday at a Southern California aerospace facility where a chemical tank overheated last month, forcing 50,000 residents to evacuate because authorities feared a catastrophic explosion.
The warrant signed by a federal judge last week approved the seizure of documents and records related to the "storage, use, or disposal" of methyl methacrylate, the chemical inside the affected tank.
"Samples of the substance within any tank, tote, drum, vat, vessel, or container suspected of containing or having previously contained methyl methacrylate and/or any hazardous substance" were also sought, according to the warrant.
The warrant also orders agents to seize records related to "any cooling equipment or other equipment used to control or regulate the temperature of methyl methacrylate."
The FBI confirmed its agents were searching GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems in the Orange County city of Garden Grove. Multiple vehicles and several federal agents were seen outside the facility Wednesday morning.
Company says it's cooperating with authorities
GKN Aerospace makes cockpit windows, canopies and windshields. The tank that overheated contained 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate, which is highly flammable. The liquid is used in the manufacturing of plastics and coatings, such as Plexiglas and dental prosthetics.
Exposure to the chemical can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological issues and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The chemical that overheated is still in the holding tank, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency, which is leading the site cleanup and waste removal efforts.
The agency had planned to pump the neutralized methyl methacrylate from the storage tanks into sealed trucks for transport and disposal starting at the end of last week, according to a press release on the agency's website. But on Friday, they said the removal didn't happen "due to unavailable resources."
Once a new date is confirmed, they will provide advance notice to the community.
Responding to a request for comment on the FBI investigation, a GKN spokesperson told the AP on Wednesday morning: "We are cooperating with authorities at our Garden Grove facility and will continue to do so."
GKN Aerospace's Steve Carlin spoke at a community meeting Tuesday evening. He thanked the firefighters and local leaders who responded to the incident at the plant that employs more than 500 people, and apologized to the community.
"On behalf of GKN and the Garden Grove plant I want to say that I'm sorry that this event and this incident occurred. I understand and I realized sitting here tonight what a disruptive event it was and how unsettling it is to the greater community. Particularly unsettling to us at GKN because of the long history that we have with Garden Grove and how connected we are to this community."
Garden Grove city leaders and residents urged GKN Aerospace to consider moving these tanks of methyl methacrylate off of the Garden Grove plant, so the chemical would be far away from residents and businesses. But Carlin said it is very early in the investigation into what happened, so it is too soon to decide what the company might do in response to the incident. He promised to be transparent with the community about the investigation.
Overheating tank risked a catastrophic explosion
The incident was reported on May 21 and evacuations began the next day. The tank overheated because a valve on the cooling system that kept it at 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) failed, officials said.
Crews sprayed water on the tank until the interior temperature stabilized to 92 F (33.3 C), down from 100 F (37.7 C). A sprinkler system was used to douse the tank, and the company said its technical specialists and firefighters removed insulation from the tank to help cool it.
A crack that formed by chance on the tank relieved pressure and helped avert a catastrophic explosion, allowing most evacuees to return home over the Memorial Day weekend. Authorities announced they were lifting the final orders after the temperature on the tank remained stable for four hours without intervention from sprinklers.
Separately, the Orange County District Attorney's Office also is conducting a criminal investigation into the GKN Aerospace plant, according to DA spokesperson Kimberly Edds.
"We have sent a preservation letter to GKN directing them not to modify or destroy any evidence, which the company's outside counsel confirmed receipt," Edds told The Associated Press in an email.
Lawyers in federal lawsuits welcome the FBI's involvement
About a dozen people and businesses that were among the 50,000 evacuated during the chemical emergency have filed lawsuits against the company. Some residents reported strong odors, respiratory irritation, headaches and dizziness. They question why the chemical plant was allowed to operate so close to homes.
Lawyer Rickard McCune represents Big Rob's Pizzeria and Fruit Caboose Concessions in a federal lawsuit claiming GKN Aerospace and parent company Melrose Industries were negligent and put the surrounding communities at risk. He said they're pleased the federal government is investigating. The FBI's involvement will help bring justice to those who were harmed, he said.
Another lawyer, Alex Wheeler, represents Dinh Tran and Drippys Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches and said they're relieved that the FBI is using its resources to investigate potential criminal acts.
"As more information becomes public, it's becoming clearer and clearer that the risk to our community posed by GKN's operation of the Garden Grove facility may require a long term and lasting solution," Wheeler said.
GKN did not immediately respond to the allegations in the lawsuits.
Orange County health officials assured residents that no contamination or fumes were released, and that they would keep monitoring the air for several months and checking the sewer and storm drains.
The California incident was the first of two major hazardous chemical emergencies on the West Coast within a week of each other. Five days after the GKN Aerospace situation began, a large tank containing a corrosive chemical at a Longview, Washington paper mill ruptured and imploded, killing 11 people.
