GKN near-miss highlights California chemical-regulation gaps

A storage tank of methyl methacrylate at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove overheated and nearly exploded, forcing evacuations for more than 50,000 residents over six days; regulators had flagged compliance problems years earlier, and the company later faced a settlement and is now treated as a major source of emissions. Crucially, methyl methacrylate is not regulated under California’s CalARP or the federal Risk Management Program, leaving gaps in oversight and emergency planning. Multiple agencies will issue separate reviews, the Orange County DA opened a criminal inquiry, and community advocates are calling for closer scrutiny and potential new laws to prevent a repeat, signaling broader questions about how California regulates hazardous industrial facilities near dense urban areas.