Federal Bureau of Investigation officers served a search warrant Wednesday at the Garden Grove chemical plant, where a compromised tank containing toxic chemicals threatened to leak or explode, resulting in the evacuation of nearby residents in May.
“We are cooperating with authorities at our Garden Grove facility and will continue to do so,” a spokesperson of GKN Aerospace, which operates the facility, said in an email statement.
Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokesperson, said FBI agents are serving a search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation into the Garden Grove aerospace business.
GKN Aerospace is a division of Melrose Industries, a U.K.-based aerospace company that manufactures aircraft parts.
In May, at the manufacturing facility, which stores thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals in pressurized tanks used to produce materials such as plexiglass for fighter jet and commercial aircraft windows, one tank threatened to leak or explode.
Over 50,000 residents were temporarily evacuated as officials investigated the potential for an explosion for days. They found that a crack in the compromised tank released the pressure buildup inside the storage unit, which ruled out the possibility of an explosion, and allowed residents to return to their homes.
The compromised tank threatened to blow up, affecting adjacent tanks also containing the toxic chemical methyl methacrylate which could have caused a large-scale public safety emergency. Still, plans to remove the remaining MMA chemical tanks from the facility have been postponed, and no new date has been announced yet.
Residents who were impacted by the evacuation have already filed multiple class action lawsuits against the company, alleging negligence at the manufacturing facility and seeking compensation for loss of use of homes and diminished property value. Now, federal officials will investigate possible violations and factors that could have contributed to the incident.
According to the FBI warrant, the officers will seize items in violation of measures to prevent the accidental release of hazardous substances into the air.
The warrant allows FBI officers the discretion to search digital devices or seize and transport them as part of the investigation.
