The FBI executed a search warrant at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems in Garden Grove, California, following a chemical tank overheating incident that forced 50,000 residents to evacuate. The Orange County District Attorney's Office is conducting a separate criminal investigation.
The FBI's search and the separate criminal investigation underscore the seriousness of the chemical incident, which endangered a large population and is now subject to multiple legal probes.
Federal authorities executed a search warrant on Wednesday at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems in Garden Grove, California, following an incident last month where a chemical tank overheated, prompting the evacuation of 50,000 residents.
The warrant, signed by a federal judge, authorizes the seizure of documents and records pertaining to the storage, use, or disposal of methyl methacrylate, the highly flammable chemical involved. Agents are also seeking samples of the substance and records related to any cooling or temperature-regulating equipment used for the chemical.
The FBI confirmed its agents were conducting the search at the facility, which manufactures cockpit windows, canopies, and windshields. The tank that overheated contained between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a substance known to cause serious respiratory, neurological, and skin irritation issues.
Separately, the Orange County District Attorney's Office is also conducting a criminal investigation into the incident. A spokesperson confirmed that a preservation letter has been sent to GKN Aerospace, directing the company not to alter or destroy any evidence. Approximately a dozen individuals and businesses affected by the evacuation have initiated federal lawsuits against the company.